The Hunt
by fandom.writer.2012
Summary: SEQUEL TO "THE CRAVING" After the Sackville-Baggs successful human transformation Gregory and Sera finally have some time to be normal teens. Unfortunately, fate doesn't seem to be done with them and before they know it life is turned upside down once again, this time though they may need to call in some help. . .(part 2/3)
1. Chapter 1

**New readers be sure to read** _ **The Craving**_ **first, otherwise you won't know what's going on.**

 **To those who have been following my first story I hope you enjoy this sequel!**

The Hunt

The Sackville-Bagg's first few months at school went pretty well. Anna's teacher had been very impressed by her skill with poetry and Rudolph got a laugh from watching Flint and Nigel calling Tony 'Lord of the Underworld' and when they'd seen him in class Tony claimed they looked ready to wet their pants in fright. Gregory hadn't been too happy with having a dress code but he'd gotten used to it, as long as he could still wear black.

Most days he ended up coming over to Sera's house to do their homework since Tony was constantly at his house and the trio of children made quite a bit of noise.

By Friday though the two teens were ready for the weekend. Sera and Gregory were at her locker between classes. She had to admit he looked good in modern day (and school code approved) clothing. He had dark denim jeans on and a black button up, he had rolled the sleeves up to his elbows and had the first few buttons undone. He'd refused to wear a tie, something the more popular boys chose to wear, but it wasn't mandatory. Sera was in lighter jeans and a navy tee shirt covered by her leather jacket. Both of them were wearing converse. Sera thanked god everyday that the school allowed sneakers, probably because of how muddy it got whenever it rained, and as winter came it was raining more often.

"So Anna has this insane idea that we sing on our way to class. Apparently it was something she saw in 'Musical High School'?" Gregory told her as he leaned against the locker next to hers.

"You mean 'High School Musical'?"

He shrugged, "Whatever it is. It took me an hour to convince her that nobody here sings, in class, in the cafeteria or in the gym."

"How'd she take it?"

"She said she's still going to try to talk Tony into singing a duet with her from the movie."

Sera closed her locker, "Sometimes I really feel bad for that poor kid."

They made their way to World History, the class had quickly become Gregory's favorite since he had lived through most of the syllabus. The bell rang just as they were taking their assigned seats, Sera was in the row to the left of Gregory just as few desks closer to the front than he was. Mr. Ferguson, the new history teacher, made his way to the blackboard.

"World War II ended in. . . when? Miss. Donovan?" Becky shrugged, "1945. Pearl Harbor? Miss. Rookery?" the teacher asked looking up from his seating chart, Mr. Ferguson was the newest staff member in the high school, he was still learning the names of all his students. Of course the teacher of her worst subject would call on her.

"Um—"

"December 7, 1941." Gregory answered from behind her not even looking up from the paper he was scribbling on.

"Thank you Mister. . . " he took another look at his chart, "Sackville-Bagg. . ." he looked up at Gregory. "Any relation to the original aristocrats that settled here?" Gregory looked up from his notebook.

"Distant."

Mr. Ferguson nodded, "Alright then Mr. Sackville-Bagg, the fall of the Berlin wall."

"1989." Gregory said without hesitation, "I'm good with dates, sir." he shrugged.

"Keep it to the year then." Gregory's eyes flashed with the invitation of a challenge.

"Civil Rights Act."

"1964."

"John F. Kennedy assassination."

"1963."

"Martin Luther King."

"1968."

"Lincoln."

"1865."

"Rowe versus Wade."

"1973."

"Brown versus Board."

"1954."

"Battle of Gettysburg."

"1863."

"Korean War."

"1950-1953."

"Almost. It ended in '52." Mr. Ferguson returned to the blackboard.

"Actually, sir. It was '53." Gregory spoke up. Ferguson turned and looked around the class.

"Look it up!"

"It was 19. . . 53." Ronnie said looking at the page in his book. Sera couldn't help but smile and look over her shoulder at Gregory who was looking back at her smirking.

vVv vVv vVv

Later, the pair got their lunch and went to the courtyard, they sat at one of the picnic tables tossing their backpacks onto the bench. It was an unusually sunny day for late fall but everyone was making the most of it. Sera was reading a book she'd gotten from her aunt while Gregory sat backwards, his back against the table, finishing his apple, looking up at the sky. Every now and then Sera would look over at him amazed by how much he seemed to be enjoying the warm sunlight on his skin.

Their peace was disturbed by a lunch tray hitting the table, Sera looked up and saw her friend Bree taking a seat across from them. The small five foot two girl smiled brightly at Sera before turning to Gregory.

"So everyone is talking about how you smoked Mr. Ferguson in class today Gregory." He looked over his shoulder at the small brunette. "He still looked steamed by the time I had him fifth period!'

"Hello Bree." Gregory said amused.

"So what other gossip have you heard?" Sera asked.

"Well, Gina got a nose job, like that wasn't obvious and then—" the girls conversation continued as another person sat at the table.

"Dominic." Gregory said stretching out a fist that the other boy returned.

"Hey, Gregory, what goes on man?"

"Heard the swim team went into their locker room and all the toilets were full of jell-o. Any comment on that?"

"What can I say man? If you want to be one of those jocks who pick on the outsider kids make sure not to mess with the master."

vVv vVv vVv

After school Sera went with Gregory to his house, they were sitting on the couch with their homework and notes spread out around them when Anna and Rudolph got home from school.

"Sera!" Anna yelled running over and giving her a hug.

"Hey, how was school?"

"Excellent. I got an A on my poem and my friend Rachel let me borrow a movie." She said excited as she pulled the DVD from her pink backpack and showed it to Sera. She smiled before handing it back to Anna, who ran into the kitchen to get a snack. When the little girl was gone Sera started laughing. Gregory looked up from his homework curiously.

"What's so funny?"

"Well, you know how for three hundred years hunters were your greatest enemy?"

"Yeah."

"Well Anna just brought home your new archnemesis." Gregory still looked puzzled.

"It's called Frozen."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Life went on peacefully and normally, the Sackville-Baggs had adjusted quite well to modern day life. Anna had memorized every song on the Frozen soundtrack and sang them all day long, much to Gregory's annoyance, Rudolph had mastered Nintendo and Tony was doing much better at school now that he had his friends there with him. Sera and Gregory were enjoying having a regular relationship and regular friends. Gregory even enjoyed school, especially history class when he'd irritate Mr. Ferguson with his much more advanced take on history than the poor old man. As much as Sera enjoyed watching Gregory torment the man she had asked him to tone it down since every time they saw the teacher it seemed like he had more and more grey hair.

Winter break came and went and soon the five kids were back in school.

"I miss vacation." Gregory mumbled, still half asleep, leaning against the lockers as Sera got out her books.

"I don't mind school so much. I haven't stayed in one place for such a long period of time since I was eight. It's nice." She shut her locker and threw her backpack over her shoulder.

"I have to get to math, good luck in chemistry." She said giving him a peck on the mouth.

"I still don't see the point in learning that stuff. When will we ever need it?"

"Unless you become a doctor or a scientist. . . never. I'll see you later."

vVv vVv vVv

The only good thing about chemistry for Gregory was that he sat next to Bree, who was amazing at science. Their table was in the back and she'd already gotten to her seat, playing with her long wavy side ponytail. Bree was always a bit bubbly but today she looked tired and seriously worried. Maybe something had happened over break? They hadn't seen much of her.

"Hey Bree." Gregory greeted as he sat beside her.

"Oh, hey." She murmured only half paying attention as she scribbled in her notebook. Professor Murray began writing equations on the chalkboard explaining to her students the experiment she had planned today.

"Alright, today I'm going to give each group a few grams of specific elements on the periodic table and your going to record how they react to extreme heat –"

Professor Murray stopped her instructions when a bunsen burner lit –seemingly by itself – on the desk housing the supplies. Their teacher, however, didn't seem too startled.

"Oh, this old equipment, it's always on the fritz."

When she went to turn it off the flame stayed lit, she'd turned the gas nozzle off completely but the flame was not only still there, it grew. Professor Murray kept twisting hoses and turning knobs while she muttered to herself about the science program being underfunded. Out of the corner of his eye Gregory saw Bree intently staring at the flame.

"Bree?" he whispered but she didn't seem to hear him, if anything her gaze only became more intense. He looked back and forth between Bree and the growing flickering flame.

"Bree." He shook her shoulder this time. That seemed to snap her out of it, she flinched, blinked a few times then turned to him with her eyes wide with fear.

"What just happened?"

He looked toward the burner, the flame had died the second Bree had come out of her trance. She looked shocked, putting two and two together.

"Did I do that?" she whispered horrified.

"I think so."

"Nobody else saw, did they?" she turned to him asking urgently.

He shook his head.

"Please don't tell anybody." Her voice shook.

"Of course." He nodded.

"Not even Sera."

He paused, could he keep a secret from the person he cared for most? Bree grabbed his wrist that was lying on the table, her eyes were silently pleading with him. He took a deep breath, whether he could or not was irrelevant, he had to, she was his friend. If Sera found out she'd understand, they each had kept their own secrets in the past after all.

"I promise."

vVv vVv vVv

Mr. Ferguson was at the board writing down the main topics they would be discussing this semester.

"Welcome back, students." He said turning to the class. "Let's turn our brains back on, and start with the founding of our great country. From the arrival of the Roman Empire in the first century to the end of the eighth century when the Viking invasions began. These invasions caused the people to unite despite differences, like paganism versus Christianity, that had kept them apart for centuries and this formed the Kingdom of Scotland. But the Wars of Scottish Independence began in the late thirteenth/early fourteenth centuries and Scotland's rule was passed back and forth between royal houses. These houses were Alpin, Dunkeld, Balliol, Bruce and Stewart –"

"What about the McAshtons?"

Sera froze in the middle of taking notes, she knew that voice, she'd know it anywhere. Gregory had looked up to the doorway, his eyes flashing with hatred. Mr. Ferguson had also turned. The person standing in the doorway was thinner than Sera remembered, but still fit. He had the same smug smirk on his lips and the same look in his eye that said he was better than everyone else. He leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed, like he was enjoying every moment. Sera could feel her heart beating quicker in her chest, she tried taking deep breaths to relax herself but it wasn't working. Gregory had his pencil gripped so tight his knuckles were turning white and you could see the yellow paint cracking as the wood began splintering in his firm grip.

"I'm sorry, who are you?"

"Theodore McAshton, I'm new."

"I didn't receive any word from the principal about any new students."

"Well, I've been mostly homeschooled, but my parents thought I could benefit from spending time with people my own age." He walked in arrogantly and took a seat at a desk up front between two cheerleaders. "And besides, history's my favorite subject."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Theo was ruining school for Sera. Publically, the story was Theo had taken a drunken tumble off the cliffs and had washed ashore where he had been brought to a hospital in the next town over. He'd been in a coma but when he came out of it and they were able to identify him, the police had notified his parents immediately. Apparently Theo was suffering from amnesia due to a bad knock on the head he'd gotten from his fall. Sera wasn't sure whether or not to believe it. But by the end of February Theo still hadn't done anything to either Gregory or her, it was like he didn't even know they were there, they were just more anonymous faces in a sea of students.

This of course didn't keep Gregory from becoming increasingly overprotective. Every time Theo would walk by them in the hall, Gregory would wrap his arm tighter around her and keep Theo in his peripheral vision, trying to keep an eye on him but not be obvious about it. There was something off about Gregory and Sera couldn't put her finger on it, it wasn't just Theo's presence that was bothering him. She finally had had enough and asked him one afternoon while they were in her loft doing their homework.

"Something's bothering you." She said getting him to look up from his worksheet, "I just can't figure out what it is. And don't say Theo – its more than that, isn't it?"

Gregory knew he couldn't tell her he'd been worrying about Bree and what she'd done in the chem lab earlier that month. As far as he knew nothing out of the ordinary had happened with her since but he knew eventually something would happen. But he couldn't just brush off Sera, she'd know he was keeping a secret and he didn't want to hurt her like that.

"It's Damien." He said and her expression turned to confusion.

"Damien? Your cousin?"

He nodded avoiding her gaze, he wasn't lying he was just. . . misleading her. "My parents are insistent on keeping contact with all our relatives but we haven't been able to find him. I keep trying to think back to that night and after your father showed up and caused all that commotion I don't remember seeing him."

"You think my father scared him off?"

He scoffed, "Damien wouldn't be scared off. I think he favored vampirism and saw a perfect opportunity to take off and avoid the change."

Before Sera could ask anything further Aunt Renee knocked on the door.

"It's open." Sera called, and her Aunt came in holding a fancy looking card.

"We've been invited to a party." She announced with a strange bewilderment in her tone, " A McAshton party." She clarified. Sera stood and took the card from her aunt her eyes scanning over the curvy cursive font the invitation was written in.

"Why would we be invited to a 'Celebration Gala'?" she asked confused handing Gregory the card to look over.

Renee shrugged, "Apparently since Theo missed the holidays the McAshton family wants to celebrate the return of their darling son. They've invited every upper class family in town." She turned to Gregory, "I talked to your mother, your family received an invitation as well. And apparently my work with the wealthy art dealers qualifies us for this _prestigious_ _honor._ " She said rolling her eyes.

vVv vVv vVv

The school was abuzz the next day with the news of Theo's celebration. Everyone who hadn't been invited was busy kissing his ass, even some of the teachers were giving him special treatment. Gregory didn't think he could possibly hate Theo anymore than he already did but each day the rich boy proved him wrong. But all thoughts of Theo were gone when he walked into chemistry and saw Bree biting her nails nervously.

"Did something happen?" he asked quietly as he sat down next to her. She tapped her pencil against her notebook and he saw the same symbol drawn over and over again. It was a Celtic knot that looked like an arrow pointing up, the lines intertwined the same way every time Bree had drawn it and something about the symbol had made her worry.

"I was just daydreaming in class and when I snapped out of it I realized I'd been drawing this."

"Have you ever seen this before?"

"No." she said in a shaky whisper.

"Do you mind if I take it?" he asked a small voice in his head telling him he'd seen the image before, he just couldn't remember where. Bree tore the paper from her notebook and handed it to him, she seemed eager to be rid of it like it would also tear away her problems.

"I have something for you." Gregory told her as he fished through his backpack. "My family has a lot of these old relics that have been passed down through generations. Several of them have stories and legends attached to them." He pulled out a twine necklace, attached to the end was a beautiful blue crystal with an owl engraved in it and a band of silver wrapped around the top holding it to the string.

"It's aqua aura quartz, the story goes it came from a healer who gave it to a person who suffered from above normal ablilities. The wearer – is said – to have peace of mind and balance when wearing it. I thought it might help you." He said handing her the trinket. His story was only partially true, his family had gotten it from the same sorcerer who had given them the stone of Attamon. They had passed it among the children hoping it would help them adapt to their new vampire abilities. In the beginning it had, and now he hoped it would help Bree channel and control whatever was bubbling inside her.

vVv vVv vVv

Sera had just made it to her locker after the final bell rang. She couldn't be happier that another day was over. But her happiness dissolved when she opened her locker and something fell out. She picked up whatever had clattered to the floor and examined it. It was a smooth grey stone, flat enough to fit between the slots of the metal locker door but it was the carving that terrified Sera. The lines wove together in an arrowhead shape and her finger shook as she traced it. It was _their_ symbol, and the fact that it was in her locker meant that they were coming, or worse – they were already here.


	4. Chapter 4

**Crystal-Wolf-Guardian-967: Thank you so much for the review! Since it's officially October I'll be updating a lot between now and Halloween. I hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you think! :)**

Chapter 4

It wasn't uncommon for Gregory to stay over Sera's house, her aunt didn't even mind that they shared a bed, though they hadn't done anything since the night of the comet. But in the past few weeks Gregory tended to wake up in the middle of the night and found that Sera wasn't there. He'd stay awake until she came back but pretended to be asleep so she wouldn't know she'd been caught. She'd crawl back into bed and cuddle against his side. He'd been trying to figure out what on earth she had been up to but during the day she seemed perfectly normal.

A month had passed, it was now late April, and Gregory still couldn't figure out the reason behind Sera's strange behavior. He'd been trying to think up the best way to confront her about it but nothing he thought of seemed right. He didn't want her to think he didn't trust her but he also didn't want to corner her like a wild animal just to get a few words out of her. As he wasted time debating he hadn't realized that the date for the McAshton party had arrived. His mother demanded he spend more time at home so the family could prepare properly, despite everything that had happened between Gregory and Theo he still hadn't divulged everything to his parents – like how Theo had tried to kill him the night of the comet.

The weekend of the McAshton Gala Gregory avoided his father as much as he could. He kept giving them all lectures on how to behave at such a formal event, and it made Gregory wonder if the old man had forgotten they were ancient aristocrats or if he was acting out of his own nervousness.

Gregory fixed his tie - for what already seemed like the millionth time – as he made his way downstairs. He ran his hand through the short strands of hair at the back of his neck –his mother had insisted on cutting it, though he should count himself lucky that she'd let him keep the top longer, so long as he kept it tamed for the gala. Rudolph and Anna were engaged in a game of chess at the table already dressed in the outfits mother had laid out for them. His parents came downstairs shortly after; his father ushered the younger children to the car while his mother smiled at him.

"You look dashing, my boy." She complimented as she embraced him before they went to join the others.

vVv vVv vVv

Gregory had never seen the McAshton mansion from the inside. It was astounding, he could see why Theo bragged so much. The main room was huge, the staircase and balcony were made completely of polished white marble and there was gold trim everywhere. There was a band playing classical music while the guests talked amongst themselves, Gregory quickly separated himself from his family and opted for a quieter place in the shade by a pillar.

"Good evening, sir." One guest said to Gregory as he passed. It threw him for a moment, it had been 300 years since anyone had addressed him as ' _sir'_. It made him feel like he'd stepped backward in time. Then his first class upbringing seemed to kick in and Gregory straightened his posture. He observed how the wealthier men walked, with one arm bent behind their back and he copied them, feeling a bit relived that some things hadn't changed in 300 years.

"Did you know that the McAshton family helped St. Andrew found this town?" Gregory heard a voice echo down the stairs.

"Oh, really? Which part?"

"All the best ones of course." The man bragged _, that has to be Theo's father_. Gregory thought as he watched the man walk down the marble stairs with Sera's Aunt Renee. She laughed along with whatever he was saying but it didn't reach her eyes. They both stayed on the landing not continuing down the second flight of stairs as the man pointed out an enormous painting and went into a long-winded speech of how it had been gifted to the McAshton family generations ago.

Sera followed the pair down the stairs and when she saw Gregory at the bottom of the next landing she tapped Renee on the shoulder, whispered in her ear and left the pair to join Gregory. She looked beautiful, he thought; she wore a dark red dress made of lace that showed her whole upper back and cut off at her knee. The sleeves ended just above her elbow, her long auburn hair was pulled to a side fishtail braid which fell over her shoulder, her side-swept bangs had grown out a bit and flowed freely from the braid and the ends curled at her chin. She smiled when she reached him.

"You clean up well."

"And you look radiant." He replied as he kissed her hand and she gave a small laugh.

"Is that really how they greeted women 300 years ago?" she asked in a whisper.

"No. But I saw it at a drive in movie once." He replied and she laughed again. He offered her his arm and she accepted it.

"So what's your aunt doing with Theo's father?"

"Theo might have amnesia and not remember that I was his _intended_ but his family does. Renee is doing damage control. She doesn't want any suspicions about my father's death and Lord McAshton's disappearance being connected somehow." They made their way to the dining room which was just as crowded but much more orderly thanks to the seating arrangements. It was set up with dozens of long rectangular tables covered with pure white tablecloths and the finest of china.

Once everyone had found their seats Gregory noticed they shared a table not only with the McAshtons but several Lords, Barons and Dukes, proof that the McAshtons liked to surround themselves with money and power. If Gregory hadn't known better he'd have thought Sera was psychic, she would whisper in his ear predicting when Theo's father would mention stocks and only a moment later he would, the same with the ladies at the table and their mindless chatter about drapery patterns and such.

"When you've been to as many of these as I have you find out that they don't talk about much else." She whispered to him when he asked her how she'd been calling the evening play-by-play.

"Next the men will leave to have brandy in the smoking parlor." Only moments later Lord Faulkner stood from his seat.

"Well, join me in a brandy gentlemen?"

"What a marvel idea." Sir MacCallum said standing as well and the other men at the table joined them, rising from their seats.

"Ladies thank you for the pleasure of your company." Duke Montgomery spoke up as Gregory's father gestured to them that they'd be taking their leave as he turned to explain to Mr. McAshton that they had to get the younger children to bed. Lord Roth, who had seen Theo stand at the brandy invitation saw Gregory rise from his seat.

"Joining us Gregory?" he asked cheerfully and Gregory thought that man had one drink too many as it was.

"No thanks, not quiet of age yet."

"Ahh, shame." He said patting Gregory on the shoulder and leaving for the parlor.

"Probably for the best." Theo said as he passed, "It'll be all business and politics, that sort of thing. Wouldn't interest you." He clapped Gregory on the shoulder, harder than necessary.

"Oh, and Greg," he called casually, "Good of you to come." Gregory swore he saw something gleam in Theo's eye but he couldn't place the emotion all he knew was it made his skin crawl.

vVv vVv vVv

Gregory had insisted on walking Sera home from the party, promising his mother that after 300 years in the shadows he'd be fine getting himself home. As they walked Sera had trouble keeping a conversation with him, her thoughts kept circling back to how she'd been spending her nights for the past month. She'd had been sneaking out of the house every night to go to the forest. She knew it was only a matter of time before _they_ showed up, most likely they already had someone in town doing re-con. The symbol on the stone - that she'd hidden in the dresser drawer – haunted her day and night. The only comfort she had was going tree to tree marking them with a symbol of her own. It was the celtic five-fold symbol, it represented the balance of human nature and she hoped it would show _them_ that all was well here and they could leave without a fight. She'd mark a few trees and look for any sign of _them._ She never found any of course, these people were experts at stealth and wouldn't leave a trace of their existence until they wanted to be found. Sera hoped her symbols would at least let them make peace, the alternative was to horrible for her to even think of.

When they reached her house she felt a knotting in her stomach, she didn't know how but something was – off. She had Gregory leave her at the front door, he seemed confused by her sudden change in attitude but she did her best to hide her nerves. He seemed to shrug it off and gave her a kiss goodnight before he left, heading to his own home for the night. When he was out of sight Sera climbed the stairs on the side of the house that led to her loft and when she reached the door she found her suspicions were correct. The door was unlocked and was left half and inch open. She immediately pulled a small pocketknife from her clutch and gripped it hard in her hand as she slowly threw open the door. Inside furniture had been tipped over, clothes had been tossed out of their drawers. A lamp lay on its side, the shade ripped and the exposed bulb emitting a harsh bright light that clashed with the dark shadow in the room.

Sera entered with caution, taking slow steps in her heels ready for any danger. She stepped around broken glass and torn pillows, the mess wasn't from any burglar looking for cash or something expensive. It was a scare tactic, to show how much power _they_ had over her already. They knew where she lived, they were able to get in and out without any neighbors noticing, they had trashed the place simply because they could.

"I already cleared the place." A voice said from behind her. She turned in a flash ready to strike but the intruder was quicker. They grabbed her wrist right before the tip of her knife could pierce their throat. "Good to see you can still keep on your toes." He said.

 **AN: anyone want to take a guess at who it could be?**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"It's been awhile, Jay." She said as he let go of her wrist.

"It has." He replied smirking. It was the same smirk he always had, she thought as she looked at him. He had the same lean build as Gregory, with shaggy black hair that had grown so long he'd combed it back away from his face and had to keep running his fingers through the falling strands to keep it that way. He was in skinny jeans that were so worn they'd lost anything 'skinny' about them and a red plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows that hung open over a black muscle top. His dark blue eyes twinkled with mischief, "It's good to see you little sister." He took a step forward and hugged her tight, she smirked back at him when he finally let go.

"I'm not so little anymore."

"I can see that." He said looking at the knife in her hand before she put it back in her bag and looked around the loft.

"You said you cleared the place but you couldn't clean up a little?"

"I was finishing up in the bedroom when you came home. Nice dress by the way."

"Thanks."

"Surprising since you have so many guys clothes in your room." He said not being subtle at all in his change of subject and Sera sighed.

"It's been five years –"

"Six." That long? She wondered as she looked at him, he hadn't aged much she noticed, his features were still pretty much the same. Tall, lean, pale skin, dark eyes and raven hair. A relatively small nose and thin lips with a smirk she'd recognize anywhere. He wasn't much older than her but he was older nonetheless and he never let her forget it.

" –and you're already trying to dig for information on boys?" with everything else going on she couldn't believe he was making this a priority.

"I'm your brother, it's my job." He said with a shrug as he took a seat in one of the chairs kicking his feet up and making himself at home.

"You're only my half brother, which makes it none of your business." She replied crossing her arms and leaning against the doorframe that led to the bedroom.

"What's his name?" her brother mocked, doing his best impression of a gossiping teenage girl. She paused for a long moment trying to prove to him that she wouldn't crack. But then his smirk turned into a smile and she couldn't keep him out of the loop, he was the only sibling she had –rather the only sibling she knew of – and it felt wrong to not open up to him about her life.

"Gregory."

"Is he good to you?"

"Very." She said not being able to hold back the smile that forced it's way to her face along with a slight blush.

"Then I approve. That wasn't too painful was it?" He joked. Then a moment of silence passed and the smile slid from his face. "Want to fill me in on why the Brotherhood is targeting you?" he asked leaning forward putting his elbows on his knees and the tone in the room became serious – life and death serious.

"It's a long story." She said now avoiding eye contact and playing with the end of her braid. She saw him take out his cellphone and dial a number. "What are you doing?"

"Ordering take out. We're going to be up awhile, might as well have something to eat." He said still tapping on the screen of his phone, then he looked up at her, "Pizza or Chinese?"

"Both." She said taking a seat on the couch and taking off her heels.

"This must be a very long story." He muttered putting the phone to his ear.

vVv vVv vVv

"I always thought the ritual was a myth." James said stabbing his chinese food with a chopstick. They had half a dozen open containers spread out around them and a half full pizza box lying on the floor between them. They'd been able to tidy the place up only to dirty it again themselves. "Only idiots believed it."

"Which explains why our father was so certain it was real." Sera gave a heartless chuckle.

"And why the Brotherhood always considered him a fool." Her brother added. A long silence filled the room as they picked at their food, the weight of the situation coming down heavily on their shoulders.

"I've always hated how supremacist they are." Jay muttered breaking the quiet. "If the Sackville-Baggs are human now why can't they just leave them be? Hell, even when they were vampires they didn't attack people. They're still hunting them because they want a perfect world, they still think like it's medieval times."

"You know you don't have to be here." Sera told him causing him to look up at her, "This is my fight, they want the Sackville-Baggs because they were vampires and they want me for associating with them instead of killing them. You don't have to risk your own safety for me."

"Of course I do. I'm not leaving you here to fight them alone. You need help." He said without an ounce of doubt in his tone, "And I know where to get some."

vVv vVv vVv

The next day was Sunday which worked out well for Sera because typically that was the day Gregory slept until two in the afternoon. She sent him a quick text telling him that by the time he woke up she'd be out running errands so he should just roll over and go back to sleep. Renee had been delighted when Sera came downstairs for breakfast and had James with her. She remembered her niece mentioning him in the letters they used to share and she welcomed him with a warm hug – he was family after all.

After they'd eaten they'd headed to the fields on the west side of town to meet the 'help' James had called in last night. He was being quite secretive about it saying Sera would see for herself. As he drove his old blue jeep to their destination Sera looked out the window and admired the beauty of the town. She'd never been to the west side, the graveyard was in the east half of St. Andrews and the school rested in the center so she'd never had the need to see it before. It was miles of spread out farmland, wide green pastures, the occasional barn or farmhouse dotting the countryside.

Jay drove far out, where no one was likely to see them, then cut the engine and got out. He pulled a map of the town out of his dark grey jacket and opened it on top of the car's hood.

"You're sure they'll be able to find us way out here?" she asked joining him by the map.

"Yes."

Sera looked at her surroundings with skepticism, "Really? Because you never were the best at giving directions."

"They don't need directions." He said smirking, and Sera turned back to him puzzled.

"You're really not going to tell me anything about this 'help' you're so sure about?" she pressed on playing with the handle of the long knife that was strapped to her hip.

"Just. . . do your best to remember everything dad taught you." He said cryptically. His advice didn't help her, her father had taught her a lot, fighting, killing, all manner of mythological creatures, their strengths and weaknesses. She leaned against the side of the jeep combing her mind for everything her father had ever taught her, the things he'd been sure to engrave in her mind. She turned and watched James bent over the map, circling things and connecting them with lines. He'd always been good at planning an attack, she just hoped that if it came to a fight they'd be able to catch the Brotherhood off guard. She didn't know if they could win, the odds were heavily against them on that. But if they could make enough trouble the Brotherhood might deem them not worth the effort and leave them in peace.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The siblings didn't have to wait long, soon Jay saw six figures emerge from the tree line and begin to cross the field toward them. Sera started tapping her fingers nervously on the hood of the jeep and her brother had to put his hand over hers to get her to stop.

"They'll hear you and it'll set them on edge." He whispered. _They could hear her? From that far away?_ She racked her brain again for any supernatural creature that had super hearing. It didn't really shorten the list – most supernatural things had advanced senses and it only made Sera more nervous knowing her brother had invited not only strange someones but had invited strange _somethings_. Alliances between species was rare, hell her own relationship with Gregory had been absolutely abnormal, she just hoped partnering with the approaching group had the same positive result.

As they got closer Sera could see there were four boys and two girls. They all wore clothes that had rips and tears in them, parts of their jeans completely shredded and most of their tops didn't have sleeves revealing strong muscular arms – even on the girls. Sera was relieved to see the boy leading the group was smiling as Jay returned the grin and closed the distance between them.

"Good to see you again Jay." The boy said grabbing her brother's hand as they bumped shoulders –a typical guy's greeting. Sera still felt a lump in her throat, the other newcomers didn't seem as at ease as their young leader was and looked around the fields with shifty eyes like they all might be ambushed at any time.

"You too Nate." James replied with a chuckle and turned to her, "This is my sister Sera."

"Nice to meet you, Sera."

"Yeah." She nodded still trying to get a read on the situation. Nate just kept smiling and brushed his hair out of his face. He had blonde curls that had grown long enough to cover his ears, his eyes were as green as the field they were standing in and he was wearing a simple light grey tee shirt and torn up jeans.

"This is my pack." He said turning to the others, "Rita, Lance, Blake, Flynn and Charlotte." Each one nodded at the sound of their name. Rita was a tall lean girl, probably the oldest, around twenty maybe? She had dark blue eyes and black hair that had been cut to her chin and looked like an overly spiky pixie cut. She wore jeans that must have been cut at the knee at one point and the army green tank top she wore had a few slashes in it like someone had tried stabbing her and missed. She looked tough as her eyes stared at Jay and Sera, obviously not very trusting of new people.

Lance looked much more laid back, with brown curls and even browner eyes that looked full of mischief. His skin was tanner than Nate and Rita's and he wore a black muscle shirt that clung to his chest. Blake had short black hair and light blue eyes, he looked suspicious but not nearly as on edge as Rita, he gave Sera a smirk and a nod when she looked at him and she nodded back in a silent hello. Flynn and Charlotte stood off to the side, the youngest of the group, maybe fourteen? Fifteen? Both of them were blonde but Sera didn't think they were related. Flynn's skin was tanned though not the copper tone Lance's was, and his eyes were a shade of hazelnut. Charlotte's skin was a light ivory like Sera's and her long wavy blonde hair was pulled into a high ponytail, though small strands had fallen out and framed her face like she'd just been in a fight, or had a really intense workout. She was the shortest in the group – her height reminded Sera of Bree – but definitely didn't look the weakest. Like Sera had learned, never judge a book by its cover. She had her hands on her hips in a challenging way resting against the waistline of her denim short shorts. A white tank top under an open dark green plaid button down that matched her fierce eyes.

Looking at all of them Sera thought they looked like they'd possibly been living in the woods for months, then she remembered what Jay had said, _do your best to remember everything dad taught you. . .They'll hear you and it'll set them on edge._ And what had Nate just introduced them as? His _pack_? Not his group or his gang, a pack. She turned to James with awe, her brother had invited werewolves to help them?

vVv vVv vVv

Gregory P.O.V.

Gregory woke up late that afternoon to a text message from Sera saying she'd be busy and to not worry about dropping by, he'd see her in school tomorrow. With the afternoon free to himself he decided to go to the cliff. He'd only gone a handful of times since becoming human again, it seemed to be the best place to collect his thoughts. When he started missing his vampirism and all the power he had his mind started to slip into a very dark place. The last time he'd let that darkness consume him it took 175 years before his family could even stand to be around him again. Gregory found that at the cliffs he was reminded of everything good that mortality had brought him. He had Sera, he had his friends, he had some semblance of normalcy again, something that 300 years of night had led him to miss.

Since he'd slept so late he didn't end up leaving the cliffs until well past midnight. He passed the docks as he headed home and noticed a figure on the pier. As he got closer he realized it was Bree and hurried his footsteps so he could catch up with her. When he was close enough he could see how she was walking like she was in a trance, staring straight ahead, never blinking, and whispering something unintelligible under her breath.

"Bree?" he asked grabbing her arm and trying to stop her. When their skin made contact the wind picked up, the lights on the dock began flickering and Bree's whispering became faster.

"Bree!" he shouted grabbing her by the shoulders and giving her a rough shake. She gasped and blinked rapidly as everything calmed down around her. She looked around trying to figure out where she was when she realized she wasn't alone.

"Gregory?" she asked like she didn't trust her own eyes.

"Are you alright?"

"How did I get here?" she questioned him as she looked around at her surroundings once more.

"I don't know." He said wishing he could help more, "Come on, let's get you home." He said wrapping his arm around her shoulders, the both of them trying to make sense of what had just happened.

"What's happening to me?" she asked on the verge of tears. "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothings wrong with you." He said in an effort to calm her down.

"You saw what I did, you know something about me is different."

He paused thinking over his words before he spoke them, "Just because you're different doesn't mean there's something wrong."

"In most cases." She said her voice still shaking, "This isn't like wearing black when everyone else is in shades of pastels, or being the teacher's pet, or coming out of the closet. Whatever this is, it's inhuman."

"No it isn't." he said with confidence.

"How would you know?" she asked stopping and turning to him, "Every time something happens with me, every time we talk about it, it's like this is nothing new to you. How can you be so calm? I'm a freak!" she yelled and the bulb in the streetlight next to them shattered cloaking them in darkness. Bree jumped then started to full on cry her eyes out. She sat down on the curb with her head in her hands sobbing, Gregory sat down next to her and rubbed her back. After a moment she rested her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her.

"I can't explain it, not here in the open. But I do know what you're going through. Even if I didn't, you're my friend and I'm going to help you any way I can." Her sobbing turned into sniffles as she looked up at him again, her eyes glistening.

"Thank you." She said in a small whisper. He gave her a tiny smile.

"Come on, it's freezing. You need to get home before your parents and grandmother realize you're gone."

vVv vVv vVv

Sera and James had spent the afternoon showing the wolf pack the map of town and explaining the landmarks and their significance. Sera talked about how the cliffs had been a vital point for the ceremony and how the vampire clan had been living in the cemetery. They determined that these were probably the two places the Brotherhood would scout out first. They continued planning as they crammed into Jay's jeep and headed to the house. Renee was out working so they had the place to themselves. Sera grabbed some leftovers from the fridge and they all pigged out in the loft. When night had fallen Nate had taken his pack and decided to run the perimeter of town looking for anything suspicious. James had asked if they'd be alright on their own and Nate assured them that nighttime was wolf-time he'd said with a smirk. He must have seen something in Jay's face because he then invited him along with the pack. It'd been a very long time since her brother had been able to actually use his hunter skills and he perked up and agreed to the invite. Before they left he apologized to Sera for leaving her alone that night but she told him it was okay, she was going to go mark some more trees anyway, it helped her think. James nodded and gave her a kiss on the forehead before leaving with the wolves. She pulled the arrowhead stone from her drawer put it in her coat pocket, grabbed her knife and headed out herself.

vVv vVv vVv

As Sera made her way back home she heard voices behind her. She quickly ducked into an alleyway knowing that no one should be out this late and pulled her knife from her boot – just in case. Across the street two people were walking her way, when they passed under the streetlight she saw it was Gregory and Bree. He had his arm wrapped around her and her head was resting on his shoulder as they walked. Sera felt pain shoot through her chest but fought the urge to do anything. Gregory would never cheat on her, they'd been through too much together. Besides, he was a gentleman – a three hundred year old gentleman, there had to be a logical reason as to why he'd be out with Bree so late at night.

Once they passed she stood up and rested her back against the brick of the building. She shook her head and took a deep breath, she put her hand in her coat pocket and felt the stone one more time. She'd leave the boyfriend drama behind for now, she had more serious problems to fix first.


	7. Chapter 7

**So this chapter is almost 3,000 words! Easily the longest chapter I've written for this so far. I hope you all enjoy it and be sure to let me know what you think (good or bad) in the reviews!**

Chapter 7

Sera wasn't in school on Monday. She wasn't in school on Tuesday. When she didn't answer his texts Gregory called her on Wednesday but she didn't answer. When he called Renee on Thursday she said Sera hadn't been feeling well. On Friday he snuck over and found no one home. He pulled out his spare key and let himself into the loft. It looked normal enough, nothing out of place – except Sera was nowhere to be found. As he looked around he saw Sera's bedside drawer was open a crack. He didn't know what compelled him to look inside but when he pulled out a carved stone his hand almost began to shake. The engraved symbol was the same one Bree had been drawing weeks ago. Why did Sera have a stone with the same marks? Then he heard a car pull up to the house and when he looked out the window he saw Sera getting out of an old jeep with another boy. He had black shaggy hair he kept pushing out of his face and was smiling at her. They seemed to be having a good time. Why was she avoiding him and hanging out with another guy behind his back? He looked down at the stone in his hand, it seemed she was keeping a lot from him.

SERA P.O.V.

Sera and James had spent the past week with the wolf pack planning and practicing. Within that week their alliance had grown stronger as one by one they realized they all shared an enemy. The Brotherhood didn't just hunt vampires but all supernatural creatures they believed posed a threat to the perfect world they were trying to maintain. Sera found she wasn't as nervous, as on edge as she had been before and she had her brother to thank for that. James knew how to cheer her up in a way only a sibling could and she was so grateful to him for it. But when she opened the loft door and saw Gregory leaning against the bedroom doorframe, his arms crossed and a sour look on his face she knew her lying had finally caught up with her.

She'd been so focused on planning for the arrival of the Brotherhood she'd neglected to come up with a reason for why she hadn't been in school and not answering his calls. Hell she hadn't even had her phone on her at all that week! Luckily, James stepped around her and into the room, doing his best to diffuse the tension.

"Hey, you're Gregory right?" he asked crossing the room and holding his hand out, "I'm James."

Gregory unfolded his arms and shook Jay's hand warily.

"I've heard a lot about you." Her brother continued.

"Wish I could say the same. Sera hasn't said a word about you." He said stiffly turning to her with accusation in his eyes. Her own gaze fell to the floor as her stomach turned in knots. Jay didn't take the bait though and kept his calm composure.

"Well I only got to town Sunday." He shrugged putting his hands in his pockets, "And we've been doing a lot of sibling bonding since then."

That threw Gregory for a loop and he turned back to James with confusion. "I didn't know Sera had any siblings." He stuttered in shock from the sudden change in conversation.

"Well technically, I'm only her half-brother." Jay said taking a seat on the couch and putting his feet up.

"Half -?"

"Rookery was his father too." Sera said finally getting the courage to look back at Gregory. "Jay can you give us a minute?" Sera asked as she walked over to Gregory, grabbed his hand and pulled him into the bedroom. She closed the French doors behind her so they could have some privacy. She took a deep breath preparing her explanation, if all she had to do was talk about her extended family then she'd gotten off pretty lucky. When she turned to Gregory he was leaning against her desk with his arms crossed and had an empty look in his eyes. She'd known him long enough to know that he'd slipped under his usual mask when he didn't want to show any emotion. It wasn't a good sign, she knew he'd feel betrayed and lied to, he'd be hurt and angry and she struggled to find where she could begin – luckily Gregory started before she did.

"I didn't know you had a brother." He said and she gave an exasperated sigh as she plopped onto the bed.

"I didn't know how you would take it." She said before she gave an empty chuckle, "I didn't take it well, at first."

"When did you find out James was your half brother?" he asked sitting beside her his icy stare softening.

"Shortly after my mother died." She took a deep breath, "My father thought it would be good for me." She paused collecting her thoughts, "I remember how much I hated them, James for existing, his mother Tanya for being the other woman, and my father for abandoning my mother and replacing her like she was nothing. Even though he'd met Tanya first, gotten her pregnant first, I was still mad about all of it."

"What changed that?"

"They apologized." She shrugged, "They were sorry for everything I'd been put through, my mother's death, being pulled away from my aunt. I could tell they were genuinely concerned for me, they knew my father wasn't a good man. Tanya had been played the same way my mom had."

They were both quiet for a long time after Sera's explanation, finally Gregory couldn't take the silence any longer.

"In the village where I grew up, men who abandoned their wife and children were shunned. The other men would run them out of town and never allowed them back." Sera turned to him with fascination, he never talked much about his old life.

"They'd house the abandoned women and children in a house together where they could help each other. I remember the people in church would pray for them, give them food, offer them work so they could afford things for their children. I remember how happy they looked when I was walking Anna and Rudolph home from school and I gave them an apple from Anna's basket. It was just an apple but you could tell it meant the world to them, just knowing other people cared."

"I thought bastard children back then were shunned?"

"In most places, but our village understood that the children weren't to blame for circumstances they couldn't control. They believed children were precious. They became more precious once the plague hit." Sera noticed the far away look in Gregory's eyes and realized his mind had pulled him back into his memory of his old home.

vVv vVv vVv

" _I remember mother and father not letting us go into a blocked off part of the village because it was where they were taking the sick. They couldn't treat them, they only put them there while they waited to die."_

Walking down the old dirt path Gregory turned when he heard a woman sobbing. In front of one of the houses a woman was on her knees next to a person lying in the dirt. She kept crying harder as two men pulled a white sheet over the person and carried the body into the quarantined part of town. Anna had turned and was trying to get a better look when Gregory roughly grabbed her shoulder and practically dragged her back home. A small voice in his head told him he couldn't keep her safe, not even in their house. This disease wouldn't be stopped by shut windows and locked doors, if it found it's way to you, you died, it was that simple.

" _That's what led the vampire to our village. The easiest way for their kind to feed without being noticed is to go wherever there is death, and our village reeked of it"_

One night after super Gregory heard a pair passing the house, they were talking about one of the children from the house for the abandoned, the boy had fallen ill and they'd taken him from his mother's arms to be quarantined. It was one of those nights where Gregory's rebellious nature had taken over and he decided to sneak in to see the boy. He didn't know why, the only contact they'd had was when Gregory gave him an apple, but something inside him said that if the boy knew there was someone who cared his face would light up with that same bright smile and he'd find the strength to pull through, find the strength to live.

Gregory wove his way through the shadows until he came to where they were keeping the sick. He was blown away by the stench of the place and used his sleeve to cover his nose. He peered through an old grimy window and couldn't believe how many people were inside. They were all lying on old tattered blankets, some were coughing, some were tossing in their sleep and some already had white sheets pulled over them. Before Gregory could find the boy he was pulled back by his collar and felt something sharp pierce his neck.

" _It felt like pure agony, I couldn't even scream because it hurt so much."_

Then his attacker was pulled off of him and he fell to the ground.

"You idiot!" the second man scolded in a harsh whisper, "Can you not smell it? Not taste it? His blood is clean!"

"I'm tired of feeding on the dead and dying! They taste like horse dung!"

The second man looked Gregory over as blood flowed from the wound in his neck and shook his head, "He's the aristocrats boy. We have to return him, if he disappears or is found dead with a wound to the neck there'll be a hunt for us."

"There'll be a hunt anyway if he turns."

"But while they're dealing with him we can flee."

" _I remember one of them carrying me through the air. It was hard to think through the pain. When mother saw me in a heap on the front steps she thought I'd caught the plague. Father was the first to notice the bite. Back then people believed the stories about vampires, I remember hearing their muddled voices debating what they should do. They finally decided to lock me in the basement and hope for the best. Sometimes I wished they had just staked me themselves."_

"Frederich, he's our son! We can't just sit back while they kill him." Freda begged.

"Believe me my love, sending our son to his death is the last thing I want but what other choice is there? When he wakes he'll need blood. Someone else will either die or turn as well. It will start a chain of events worse than the plague we're fighting now! And we have two other children to worry about as well."

Freda opened her mouth to protest but Gregory's body heaved as he coughed and fell back into unconsciousness. Freda hurried to her eldest's side and gently rubbed his back trying to both comfort him and let him know he was not alone. Frederich couldn't stand to see the great sadness in his wife's eyes and he gave a heavy sigh.

"We'll lock him in the cellar. No daylight can reach him there and he'll be safe until we can figure out what to do."

" _When you first wake your mind hasn't fully turned. Everything you do is based purely on instinct, you have no conscious thought until later. You're like an animal – a very hungry animal."_

He heard tiny footsteps creaking against the floorboards above him. He lifted himself off the dirt floor of the cellar and made his way to the door. There was a heavy metal lock that he crushed with one bare hand as he proceeded into the hall. The house was dark, the only light came from a few embers still hot in the fireplace. In the kitchen was a small figure digging through the cabinets for a midnight snack, they didn't hear the predator's silent footsteps as they approached. There was a faint snarl and they turned from their search as the vampire's hand grabbed their throat and sank his fangs into the tender flesh of their neck.

" _Who was first?"_

…

…

…

" _Rudolph."_

He dropped his brother's body to the floor, his pulse still faint, trying to pump the remaining drops of blood through his veins.

" _There must have been some part of me that held onto restraint. That knew to keep some blood left in him and not drain him dry. That's the difference between turning and death. . . but Rudolph was only nine and still small, his blood wasn't enough to sate the beast that had been born inside me that night."_

"Rudolph?" came a small voice from the hallway and the vampire turned to the sound, his brother's blood still warm and dripping from his chin, his red eyes now locked on his next meal.

" _I remember how Anna's eyes widened in fear when she saw me standing over Rudolph's body. How she clutched her straw stuffed doll and tried to run. But running only made the animal more eager as her heart rate increased and her blood pumped faster."_

The small girl let out a tiny shriek before her airway was cut off by her brother's sharp teeth. The tiny sound echoed through the house and woke her parents. Freda and Frederich knew something must have happened with Gregory.

"Wait here darling." Frederich told his wife as he went to investigate. He took the lantern from their bedside, lit it and made his way into the hall. He found the crumpled figure of sweet Anna at the top of the stairs, pale as the moon except for the blood that was drying on her neck, her tiny hands still clutching her doll. He put the lantern beside her and rested his hand against his chin, after a moment he slowly stood.

"I know your still there Gregory." He said as the vampire stepped out of the shadows behind him.

" _When I attacked him he tried to fend me off. But even a grown man is no match for a vampire."_

Freda sat on the edge of the bed as the bedroom door creaked open. The shadowy figure was too small to be her husband but to tall to be Anna or Rudolph. Out of all of them his mother was the strongest when facing the monster her son had become. She sat on the edge of the bed and never took her eyes off him. She didn't fight like Frederich, she didn't try to scream like Anna, instead she talked to him, just talked.

"I know this isn't you Gregory." She said as the vampire stalked toward her, eager for more blood. "I hope you can hear me from whatever dark crevice your mind is stuck in right now." She spoke calmly as her son came just a few steps from her side, "When you come out of this bloodlust I want you to remember, we're your family, and we forgive you." Then he lunged for her throat.

vVv vVv vVv

"My family were luckier than I was. When they woke the sun had already risen and we were all trapped inside. They had moved to the basement while I stayed in the attic. It wasn't because they didn't want me there, it was because I couldn't look at them, I couldn't bear to see what I'd forced them to become. After we hadn't been heard from the entire day my Uncle Von came looking for us, he was worried we might have caught the illness and he wanted to check on us. When he entered our home my family pounced on him, having sated their hunger they could now think clearly. They decided to chain him up so he wouldn't go on a rampage through the village that night. When the sun had set they took him to the nearest barn so he could feed on a cow."

"That's how your family started existing without killing people?"

Gregory nodded, "But it wasn't long after that our absence from society had been noted and the other townsfolk feared we were suffering the plague outside of the quarantined. We had to leave our home or die." He turned to Sera, "That's when our family's path crossed with yours. Rumors of what had happened spread and soon we had a vampire hunter trailing us."

"I hate that my family caused yours so much trouble."

He shrugged, "It wasn't all bad. In the end, I got to know you."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Gregory had hoped that by opening up and telling Sera about his past that she'd feel good enough to share with him everything she'd been hiding – but she didn't. They ended up going back into the living room and spent roughly the next hour talking to James. Gregory had to admit, he liked the guy. Jay was down to earth, funny, had a good taste in music and never let anything phase him. Gregory had left the two to get back to whatever they had been doing – and still lying about – before he'd interrupted. As he walked home with his hands in his pockets his thumb rubbed the carved stone he'd taken. Maybe he'd ask Bree about it, after opening up to Sera about his past he decided to tell Bree the truth about himself and everything he knew about her.

vVv vVv vVv

Luckily, the next day was Saturday so Gregory knew Bree would be available to talk. He texted her around ten o'clock asking if she wanted to get coffee and take a walk. She was bright enough to know that he wanted to talk about something serious but accepted the invitation.

"So what did you want to talk about?" she asked sipping her drink – she'd opted for hot chocolate instead – as the wind blew her long brown waves of hair, her knit hat the only thing keeping it out of her face. It was a rather chilly day for late April and like everyone else they were excited for warmer weather.

"I've been lying to you." He began, "Every time something goes on with you and you ask how I'm dealing with it so well, every time I've answered I've lied to you. There is something about myself – about my family – that I've been afraid to share with you."

"Okaayy." She dragged out the word with a cautious tone.

"You think you're becoming a freak but trust me you're not. I mean you're not the one spending year after year drinking cow blood and sleeping in cemeterys to survive –" He looked at her and saw the confusion on her face. "Yeah, this isn't making sense is it? But just hear me out. You know something is off." He stopped to take a deep breath, "This is going to sound crazy."

"You're not the one drawing symbols and making lightbulbs break with your mind." She muttered and it seemed like she was trying to comfort him. Weird form of comfort, he thought, making yourself sound like the bigger freak to make your friend feel better about themselves? Or was that something all teenagers did? He stopped walking and had Bree sit on a nearby park bench, afraid that she might pass out when he told her, or run screaming, he wasn't sure which. He'd never told anyone this before, even Sera had found out when he was a vampire and she'd been raised by a vampire hunter so it had been a very different situation.

"I used to be a vampire."

vVv vVv vVv

Jay had gone out to meet with Nate, he'd insisted that Sera try to get her mind off the situation and catch up on her homework. She thought it was ridiculous of course, their lives were in danger and he wanted her to keep up with schoolwork? When she'd voiced this to him he'd told her to stay positive.

"You be positive, I'll be realistic!" she'd snapped at him but his smile hadn't waivered. One of the best things about her brother was his ability to stay calm under pressure. She could have screamed her head off at him and he would have sat quietly while she let it all out then hugged her. And she loved him for that, their circumstances might have always been crap but through that they'd gained a sibling bond stronger than any other.

Sera let out a long sigh of aggravation as she looked down at the math homework in her lap, leaning her head into her hand and doing her best to concentrate. When it proved that she'd never get any of this done with so much else on her mind she threw her notebook across the bed and pulled out the drawer of the side table. When her fingers didn't brush the smooth rock like she was expecting she began to panic. She rifled through the drawer pulling out old scraps of paper, pens that had dried up ages ago, hair ties, everything her fingers touched was pulled out and thrown on the floor. When the drawer was empty and there was still no stone to be found she raced into the kitchen where she'd left her phone and called her brother.

vVv vVv vVv

Bree had looked shocked at first but surprisingly had kept an open mind while Gregory explained everything. He told her how he had been a three hundred year old vampire when he'd met Sera who's father was a vampire hunter. He explained about Theo's role and about the stone of Attamon and the ceremony that allowed them to become human again.

"Well, yeah after all that I guess I don't seem so freakish." Bree said finishing her hot chocolate as they continued walking across the park. Instead of running away or thinking he'd lost his mind she'd dove into a bunch of questions. She asked what it was like to adjust to the twenty first century, if he'd killed anyone, what life had been like three hundred years ago, and so on. As they walked he spotted Theo in the park on one of the fields with the school's rugby team. They were tossing the ball back and forth and Gregory led Bree so that they'd be as far away as possible from them.

"What was it like?" she asked, "Changing back into a mortal?"

"Odd." He decided was the best word to describe it, after all how do you describe turning to smoke and somehow waking up human with no memory of your life before that moment? Good thing Anna had shown Tony that whistle, "Very odd. I'm not even entirely sure what hap –" he stopped and turned quickly, too quickly. It took him a second to realize he'd caught the ball Theo had launched at his head only inches from his face. When he looked over at the team a lot of them were smiling and nodding, impressed by his reflexes, Theo looked angry and it made Gregory smile. Then he threw the ball back to the team and turned to Bree who had a smirk on her face.

"There might be some lingering side effects." He shrugged.

vVv vVv vVv

James had rushed over, not because the missing stone seemed like an emergency, but because he didn't want Sera to give herself a heart attack. When he got there the place was a mess, she'd torn it apart looking for this stone and was quite a wreck herself. He'd tidied up while he talked her down but she didn't stop pacing across the floor. He picked up the laptop and turned it on while he plopped onto the couch, figuring that while they talked he might as well get some work done.

"What if one of _them_ was here? Maybe they took it."

"If they were going to show up you know they'd have made a strong impression. We already know they have us in their sights, if they were going to show their faces they would have made a move to try and scare us." he reasoned as he plugged away at the keyboard.

"But what if –" she began before stopping her pacing and looking over his shoulder, "Why are you looking into Theo's records?"

One aspect that Jay had that most hunters didn't – he was very good with technology.

"His story doesn't sit well with me, I just want to check to make sure it's legitimate." He explained. Sure, it might have something to do with the fact that he didn't like the guy. He'd spent months pushing his little sister around like garbage, of course his big brother instincts were going to kick in. If there was anything Theo wanted to hide he swore he'd find it, he wanted to drag Theo's reputation through the dirt and by god one way or another he would.

vVv vVv vVv

"So explain this then." Bree said holding up the blue aqua aura quartz stone necklace he'd given her as they sat on the swings. The set was old and rusted which was why they'd expanded the park and built a newer playground on the opposite end, making it a good place to have a private conversation. "Is the story you told me true?"

"Yes." He said after a moment of slight hesitation, a moment Bree noticed. She raised an eyebrow and he sighed, he hadn't wanted to overwhelm her but knew she wouldn't let this go. "We got it from the same sorcerer that gave us the stone of Attamon." He caved resting his elbows on his knees. "I really did hope that it would help you like it helped us."

"It did, for a bit." She said sadly tucking the twine necklace back under her scarf. "But then the _symptoms_ just got worse, more intense." She looked up and caught him staring at her. "What?"

"Bree. . . I know exactly what's going on with you, but if I tell you –"

"Tell me!" she said excitedly and somewhat desperately, "I need to know, tell me! _Please_."

"Bree everything you know, every aspect of your life will change forever. Are you sure you're ready for that?" Her eyes were wide as she nodded eagerly and he took another deep breath, "Bree. . . I think you're a witch."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Sera didn't see Gregory again until Monday in school. She was still nervous about the missing stone and he still looked at her like he knew she was hiding something. She spent the day tapping her pencil on her desk and biting her eraser. She'd skipped lunch entirely and her hair was a mess from twirling it around her finger anxiously all day. When the final bell rang Gregory met her at her locker and pulled her outside.

"We need to talk." He said as they hurried away from school and started walking home. They ended up walking along the coast, he stopped them at an old stone wall and had her sit down beside him. They were at the top of a hill surrounded by farmland with the ocean waves crashing into the rocky shore behind them. He reached into his dark grey jacket and pulled out the stone. Without thinking she threw her arms around him in joy and relief. The Brotherhood hadn't taken it, they weren't here. . . yet. When Gregory pulled away from her unexpected hug he brought his free hand up to cup her face.

"You need to tell me the truth."

"It's nothing."

"No it isn't."

There was a long silence while she looked down at the carving in the stone, then she put her hand over his.

"You're going to want to fight and if you do you'll get killed."

"But you're planning to fight with your brother." He said still not knowing who they were fighting. She looked out at the crashing waves and did her best to hold herself together.

"I remember when you fought me in the catacombs," he began, "I know you can handle yourself. I just can't figure out who could possibly have you this scared."

She took the stone from his hand still looking at the mark it bore, "It's the symbol of the Brotherhood." Her voice shook so Gregory didn't push her for more, he let her take her time. "They're a group of families that banded together in the twelfth century with one purpose."

"To kill vampires." He guessed, it didn't take a genius to figure that out.

"All non-human beings." She clarified, "The Brotherhood was sworn to eradicate any species they believed posed a threat to mankind. They loved from place to place, some faction so large they could eradicate entire coven in a single night; training their children to do the same. Over the years, as people stopped believing in ghost stories they've become an exclusive and secret society. They used to train anyone who wanted to know how to fight, now only blood relatives are allowed."

"The Rookery family is part of the Brotherhood?" he guessed.

She took a deep breath, "Yes."

"And they're coming to take you and your brother."

"No." she replied and that returned the confusion to his expression, "The Brotherhood isn't like my father. Where he was foolish, overconfident and theatric they're smart, crafty and strong. They knew my father was trying to stop your ritual, when they stopped getting reports from him that fact alone lets them know he failed. Now they're coming to finish the task he set out to do."

"Kill us? But we're human now, we're no threat."

"They don't see things that way. Once you're a vampire, you think like a vampire, you understand a vampire, you'd _sympathize_ with other vampires and that's the part that they find dangerous."

"So this group is coming and you and James think you can take them yourselves?"

"They know I sided with you." She said holding up the stone, "I found this in my locker months ago. It means they sent a scout – a young recruit – to spy on us. And it means they're coming to kill you, your family and anyone involved with your return to mortality."

"They'll go after Tony? The Thompsons? You?"

She nodded and another long silence fell over them.

"I know you were sneaking out at night." He began slowly and she looked back up at him, "What were you doing?"

She paused for a beat before she answered, "Carving a symbol of my own." She pulled a piece of paper from her coat pocket and unfolded it. There was another Celtic knot. "It's the five fold symbol for balance. I was carving it into trees hoping that if the scout was still around they'd report it. The Brotherhood would take it as a sign that balance had been restored. . . by eliminating the vampires."

"How many men do they have?" he asked.

"I don't know. My father always told me their numbers change. But your gathering the night of the comet was a lot of vampires. If they think you all stuck around they'll send their most lethal – the inner circle. It's made up of the five original families that began the Brotherhood. The family patriarch is the one who takes the family seat, speaks on their families behalf. Those five men and their sons will be the ones who come. Last I knew that core had twelve but that doesn't mean they won't bring more."

"Twelve." He whispered in awe. He could never imagine twelve men, better trained and more intelligent than Rookery hunting them for three hundred years. Honestly, he didn't know if they would have made it against those odds. "And there are only two of you."

"Gregory don't."

"Don't what?" he asked harshly turning to look her in the eye.

"I know you. You want to fight but you don't know how. You're not trained like I am, like my brother is, you would never make it. . . . and. . . I can't bear to think of you in that kind of danger." She knew he'd continue to protest so she kept speaking. "And. . . it's not just the two of us."

"You have more half siblings I don't know about?" he asked trying to at least get a chuckle out of her, though part of him was curious – how many bastard children did Rookery have? How many women had he left alone to care for children he only wanted to use as hunters?

"No. But my brother didn't come to town alone. He brought a pack with him." she admitted with a guilty look on her face.

"A pack? You can't mean –"

"A pack of werewolves." She clarified.

"Do you understand how dangerous werewolves are?!" he asked shocked that she would associate herself with such wild beasts.

"About as dangerous as a family of vampires?"

Well she had him there.

"You said you know that I can take care of myself, so trust me when I tell you I'm safe with the pack. The Brotherhood hunts them too, we share an enemy."

"Let me help you."

"Gregory –"

"You're not the only one who has more-than-human friends."

 **Ok so we're about halfway through this story and I haven't seen any reviews in a while. I do want to say thank you to those who have favorited and followed this story, it lets me know at least I'm doing something right. . .**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Neither Gregory or Sera really paid attention in school the next day, they just kept arguing back and forth. He was practically demanding that she train him and she wanted to know what he'd meant about that non-human friends line. He hadn't really explained it because truthfully, it wasn't his secret to tell.

"Let me train and I'll tell you." He'd say.

"Tell me and maybe I'll train you." She'd reply. And back and forth it went. It even continued as they walked home from school, it continued when they went to her loft and finally it ended when Jay had heard enough.

"Okay that's it." He said from the couch pushing the laptop off his legs and getting up. "You tell her whatever it is and _I'll_ train you."

"No you won't." Sera ordered.

"You're not the boss of me." He shrugged before turning to Gregory who looked shocked. "So what do you say?"

"You'll really train me?"

"Sure." He replied nonchalantly.

"Jay we are not dragging him into this." Sera snapped.

"He's already in it." Her brother replied, "And which would you rather, him running into the Brotherhood – because odds are he will sooner or later – and being prepared so he can fight long enough to buy time to run or have him be a sitting duck?"

While it irritated Gregory that they were talking like he wasn't there he had to admit Jay was making some good points on his behalf and he seemed to be getting through to Sera better in a few minutes than Gregory had after arguing with her all day. After a long sibling stare down Sera gave a long huff and headed to her bedroom where she slammed the door behind her, clearly wanting to be alone.

"She'll calm down." Jay said walking over to the fridge and getting two bottles of water. "Here." He passed one to Gregory, "You'll need that by the time I'm through with you."

vVv vVv vVv

Jay hadn't been kidding, after two hours of what he called 'basic exercises' Gregory was exhausted.

"First time is always the hardest." James said holding out his hand and helping Gregory off the floor. He'd paid off the janitor of the school to let them use the gym to 'work out'. Thankfully, James sat down on the bleachers giving Gregory a chance to catch his breath.

"So why did Rookery take Sera away from her aunt but you grew up with your mom?" he asked. Since he'd met James he'd been curious about the Rookery family's complicated past. If the hunter had been so obsessed with his daughter going with him on hunting trips why had he left his son behind? "If you don't mind my asking."

"I don't. Legally dad is – was an exterminator and the court thinks that's a steadier income than the art restoration stuff Renee does. Also Renee was her aunt, as long as her mother was alive no one in their right mind would give our dad custody of a child. Once Meredith died the legal system is more likely to give a child to the father than the aunt unless they have a black mark on their record."

"And killing vampires didn't tarnish his record?"

"Not when the Brotherhood was covering up dad's real job." Gregory really didn't want to hear more about the Brotherhood so he steered the conversation down a different path.

"Which is why you were allowed to stay with your mom."

"Mostly." James replied taking another gulp of water, "Dad didn't fight for me as much as he did Sera. He thought she was being raised by two women who would let her grow up to be weak. My mother had a very different parenting style."

"How so?"

"Mom teaches self defense classes, I think that's part of what drew dad to her. She's a good looking lady who can really kick ass. The day I learned to walk she had me in every kind of self defense class you can imagine. As I got older she taught me more advanced stuff, knife throwing, shooting, archery. She wanted me to be prepared for anything, but she also taught me that an even greater weapon is your mind and knowing when to punch and when to just keep dodging."

"I bet that came in handy."

"It did. Once I got into a fight with a bully at school and won without throwing a single punch. I just kept dodging his blows and eventually he had to go to the nurse because his fist had hit the lockers so many times his hand was bleeding."

"So Rookery let you stay with her?"

"Yeah, he figured I was getting trained anyway but I do remember one time he was in the area with Sera – probably trailing your family – and wanted me to tag along. Mom threw a fit, I'd never seen her so mad, I was actually afraid for my dad because I knew the damage mom could do to him if he got her worked up enough."

"She sounds like a great person."

"She is. She's always there for me with anything. From helping me with homework to relationship drama."

"Girlfriend issues?" Gregory guessed taking another gulp of water.

"Sometimes girlfriend issues. . . sometimes boyfriend issues."

Gregory nearly choked on his water, "What?" he asked when the coughing subsided. When he looked at James it seemed like he was trying to hold back laughter.

"I'm guessing sexuality is still a modern-age thing you haven't been told about." He chuckled.

"I'm pretty sure I'd remember if I'd been told that." Gregory said wiping his chin with the bottom of his shirt. "So you're. . . you're a. . . pillowbiter?" he asked and Jay's chuckling turned into full on laughter.

It took him a good five minutes to calm down enough to ask, "Is that what they called it three hundred years ago?" he said wiping tears from his eyes he'd been laughing so hard. "Oh that felt good." He said still chuckling between words, "I needed that."

"Guess I still have a lot to learn about the twenty-first century." Gregory muttered as he took another sip of water.

"That's not all you need to learn." James said getting up, "Come on let's get back to work."

vVv vVv vVv

After the boys had left to start training Sera tried her best to focus on her homework yet again. she was so upset with her brother for dragging Gregory into this, even though the logical side of her mind told her he was right, Gregory should be prepared. She spent the next hour moving slowly through her homework and had just finished her last essay when there was a shy knock at her loft door. Being overly cautious Sera crept to the door with her hand on the handle of the knife that was hidden by her shirt. When she opened the door Bree was standing there with a smile on her face, though Sera saw that it didn't reach her eyes.

"Bree? What's up?" she asked not knowing why her friend was here. She knew she'd been neglecting talking to her at school but in her defense she did have a lot on her mind.

"Gregory called, said we needed to talk." She said as Sera let her in, only then did she remember seeing Bree and Gregory looking quite cozy that night a week ago – had it really only been a week? God, it seemed like months ago; this whole thing with the Brotherhood was really messing with her life.

"Talk about what?" Sera asked curious but also annoyed, if this was about Gregory she'd explode, she had bigger problems than boyfriend drama. She sighed internally, sometimes it was tricky balancing the normal world and the supernatural one.

"You seem. . . off lately." Bree began, playing with her hands that were covered by her hoodie's too long sleeves making her look even smaller than she already was.

"It's just personal stuff." Sera tried brushing it off, "I've just been stressed out." She sat down on the couch.

"Well as your best friend I'm obligated to help." Bree said with a brighter smile as she sat on the opposite end of the couch and plopped her bag on the floor by her feet.

"I don't think you can, though I appreciate the thought."

"That's why Gregory said we should talk. He said you'd understand, like you understood his former vampire-ness." She shrugged and Sera froze.

"Vampires?" she said, "Bree you can't be – " but one look on the girl's face told her she wouldn't get away with lying, "He told you?" she asked hurt, maybe Bree and Gregory had grown closer than she had previously thought. She didn't want to be the jealous girlfriend but if Bree had become so close to Gregory that he confided his deepest darkest secret in her then where did that leave Sera? Especially after all the secrets she'd been keeping from him and how often she'd gone M.I.A. for the past weeks.

"Yeah, he told me." Bree said pulling her feet up to sit cross-legged. "He also told me about you being a hunter and said you'd understand when I did this." She said cryptically reaching for her bag and pulling out a knife. It wasn't like Sera's fancy hunter's blade, it was just a regular kitchen steak knife but Sera got defensive all the same – until Bree stabbed the pillow.

"What are you doing?"

"Be patient." Her friend said with a smile as she dumped feathers everywhere. Then she leaned over a pile of them that sat between the two girls and raised her hand over it. Slowly, she brought her hand up and one feather followed. Sera's eyes widened in shock and amazement. Then she let the feather fall and rubbed her hands together and when she raised both of them several feathers lifted into the air. "I can't do much, I'm still figuring this out. But Gregory helped me through that scary realization phase." She dropped her hands and the feathers fell, "I'm a witch." Sera looked to her with an amazed smile, "And I _can_ help you."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

James had to give Gregory credit, he was a quick learner. It had only been a few weeks and he was already blocking every punch and dodging every kick. James threw a punch and Gregory caught it, then used his free fist to swing. James ducked and twisted so he was now behind Gregory. The former vampire did a full turn swinging with his fist which Jay dodged again. He was still much more skilled then Gregory – having trained all his life – but Gregory was very good for how little he'd been at it.

"You have to remember that a fight will never be fair." He advised as they sparred, "Once your enemy gets you down, you're as good as dead."

James swung again and Gregory blocked it with his forearm. He aimed for his ribs and Gregory stopped that attack as well.

"Good." Jay said with a smirk. Then he twisted the hand that was holding his wrist, turned and flipped Gregory over his shoulder. Gregory let out an 'oomph' as his back hit the floor with a thud. James leaned over him resting his hands on his knees.

"But you still have a long way to go if you're going to help us against the Brotherhood."

vVv vVv vVv

The next day Gregory stopped by the loft while Jay was out with Nate again coordinating with the pack. He wanted to spend some time with Sera that wasn't filled with divulging secrets that filled the air with tension, he just wanted to curl up on the couch and relax with his girlfriend. However fate didn't seem to want to let that happen and Sera bombarded him with questions the moment he set foot through the door.

"Why didn't you tell me Bree is a witch?"

"It wasn't my secret to tell." He shrugged as she leaned against him on the couch.

"She wants to help."

"I know." He replied wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"She can't. I won't drag another innocent person into this especially when she has no idea how to control what she can do."

"Eventually, the Brotherhood will come for her too. You know that."

Sera sighed and put her head in her hands. Gregory rubbed her back soothingly, "I can help her."

"How?" she scoffed, "Unless you're a witch too?"

He chuckled, "Firstly, men prefer the term warlock. Second, my family has collected a lot of rare things over the years, we have them in our basement. I know we have something that Bree can use." As he spoke he noticed a strange look in Sera's eyes, "What is it?" he asked concerned.

She took a deep sigh before speaking, "I saw you with her one night." She began slowly, "And I thought. . ."

"You thought I was seeing her behind your back?" he said almost appalled that she would think so low of him.

"I knew I hadn't been paying much attention to you, I figured if I'd done something to make you feel neglected why wouldn't you start looking for someone else? And I had been lying to you after all."

"You had your reasons." He said adjusting how he was sitting so he could turn to face her, "And I would never do that to you." He said taking her chin and making her look him in the eye.

"I know." She said as a small smile crept onto her face, he smiled back before leaning in to kiss her. What started as a few small pecks soon turned into a very heavy make out session. Gregory pulled her onto his lap so she straddled him, all without breaking the kiss. She fisted his shirt and he held tightly to her waist holding her as close as possible. Eventually, his fingers trailed under her shirt and his fingertips ghosted along her skin sending shocks of electricity up her spine. She retaliated by sliding one hand under his shirt and letting her nails graze his skin as her free hand cupped the back of his head keeping him from pulling away – though that seemed to be the last thing on his mind. He turned and pushed Sera over so her back was on the couch and he was on top of her. She tugged at the bottom of his shirt trying to pull it off but he refused to break the kiss as he held behind her knees keeping them on either side of his waist. She was starting to get lightheaded from the kissing when there was a knock on the door. Gregory groaned in annoyance at the interruption as he pulled away. Sera sat up and they both fixed their wrinkled clothes.

"Come in." she called and the door opened to reveal Bree.

"Hi." She said sheepishly as she poked her head in then opened the door wider so she could actually enter the room. "I hope you're not busy." She said eyeing Sera's messed up hair, "I got Gregory's text to stop by." She explained holding up her phone.

"Yeah." He said before clearing his throat, "It's right here." He got up and grabbed his backpack off the kitchen counter and pulled out an old leather bound book. Its pages were yellow and the corners were frayed. Sera found herself wondering how many centuries old it was. It was small, about the size of a journal and Bree was very careful when Gregory handed it to her.

"There's no title." She said looking at the old cover.

"It's a grimoire, or a witches spell book. Sometimes it's called the Book of Shadows. But I guess it depends on the witch."

"How did you get it?"

"Three hundred years as a vampire, you come across some cool stuff." He shrugged.

"Thank you." She replied as she took a seat and started carefully looking through the pages.

"You're welcome." Gregory told her as he grabbed his backpack and his jacket, "I have to go meet your brother for training," he said turning to Sera, "I'll see you later." He leaned down and kissed her goodbye before leaving the loft. Bree looked up from her book.

"Brother?"

vVv vVv vVv

They were out in a field today and the first thing James did was throw a wooden stake at Gregory's feet. It implanted itself into the dirt between his shoes and he couldn't help but recoil from the weapon, after all he'd spent three centuries avoiding such things, having one so close was new to him.

"Don't fear the stake." Jay told him, "It's not your enemy anymore."

"Last I knew something sharp through the heart can kill a human too." Gregory muttered his eyes still on the stake imbedded in the ground. James gave a chuckle.

"One of the major flaws of vampire hunters." Then he turned serious again, "My sister cares about you very much."

"And I her."

"I'm training you because I don't want her to lose you, I'd never want to see her in that kind of pain. Pick it up."

Warily Gregory took hold of the stake and pulled it from the earth. "Why do I even need this? We're not fighting vampires."

"That we know of." Jay said cryptically.

"What do you mean?"

"You have no idea what the Brotherhood has become, in order to fight monsters they've allowed themselves to become monsters as well. If the Brotherhood had been hunting your family instead of my father you would have been lucky if they simply killed you, I've heard of them doing much worse." He paused trying to not let the horrors overcome him. "If they can safely subdue a vampire they don't always kill it, they'll capture it. They lock them up and starve them like lions in a coliseum, then they throw recruits in with them and see if they survive. If they do then they're strong enough to join, if they don't they die."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying it wouldn't be unheard of for them to chain up any captives they have and use them against us. What you have to be prepared for is facing someone you might have once known, someone you once my have considered a friend. Can you do that?"

"I- if it was me or them, or Sera –" he stopped because Jay had taken a stake out of nowhere and in the blink of an eye had his arm bent and the tip against Gregory's throat.

"You still hesitate and that hesitation can cost you your life." He said then began attacking, aiming to stab Gregory several times. Gregory kept stepping back out of the way not deflecting James' strikes but avoiding them.

"Think of the stake as an extension of your arm, it's a part of you." Jay advised so Gregory tried exactly that. It took a while, old habits die hard and all that, but eventually Gregory got the hang of wielding a stake. He matched Jay thrust for thrust, using his own stake to block his attacks. Then Jay swung on a diagonal and Gregory saw his chance, in a flash he dodged the attack and swung stopping his stake just as the tip was about to pierce Jay's jugular. He looked shocked for a moment before he smirked.

"You're quick, that's good." Jay said in approval, "But how long can you keep it up?" he challenged then attacked again, and on and on it went.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Another month had passed while Bree studied her book and Gregory trained, eventually Sera joined in finally accepting his help. Gregory was glad, not only did it mean she wasn't upset with him it also allowed him to learn how to take on more that one opponent at once. It was now mid- May and the weather was starting to warm up, they didn't know what was taking the Brotherhood so long but James insisted it meant they were preparing the worst at their disposal, in short it meant train longer, harder and more often. Luckily finals were in a few weeks and no school meant more time to train. Even better was the Thompsons were planning a trip to America to visit their family and Renee – not stupid and eventually getting it out of the teens what they were up to – convinced them to take the Sackville-Baggs as well. Tony had lit up at the idea, eager to show Rudolph and Anna where he grew up and Freda had talked Fredrich into letting Gregory stay with Renee and Sera.

Bree in the meantime had been so absorbed in her spell book she didn't take notice of much else. Her parents were on her back about studying for finals because ever since she'd gotten the book her grades had started to slip. She couldn't exactly tell them that she didn't have time for an education because she had to figure out a way to use her newly discovered magic to help her friends. So she did her best to balance schoolwork and witch-work but always ended up spending more time on spells than math. One day she found a spell that might actually be helpful and it didn't look too difficult! She kept flipping through pages when she came across a passage on hunter bloodlines.

 _Hunter families rose from those born with senses better than the average human, while not supernaturally fast, their speed, reflexes and agility are sharper and allow them to quickly learn defense for fighting creatures. They posses incredible amounts of focus and have great attention to detail which aids them in tracking monsters, some so fast they leave no footprints to follow and a hunter must look for subtler signs. Because they are technically more than human their blood can be used to enhance several spells._

The passage went on to list which spells to mix with blood, which to add strands of hair, and which to add tears. But an idea had already formed in Bree's head. She grabbed her phone and texted Gregory and Sera asking them to meet her in the park at the bench where Gregory had told her his secret.

vVv vVv vVv

Sera had been at Gregory's house when he got Bree's message. She said her goodbyes to Rudolph and Anna before they left for the park. When Bree saw them walking over she quickly hopped up off the bench and ran over to them in excitement.

"I found something in the book." She said as she began to turn the pages until she found what she was looking for. "Here. It's a protection spell, simple but effective and it even says how to make it stronger."

"Do you think you can cover the town?" Sera asked hopefully.

"It might take a while, I have to make this mixture and spread it at the four points of the town."

"Four points?" Sera asked confused though Gregory seemed to understand.

"The four points, north, south, east and west." He guessed and Bree nodded her head.

"Like on a compass." She explained.

"Well, what do you need to make the mixture?" Gregory asked knowing witch potions could be made from some pretty gruesome stuff.

"Just two things, which both of you can get me. Sera's blood –"

"Hold on. How much blood are we talking about? And why do you need it?"

"I'd only need about a pint – like how much they take when you donate – it wouldn't be enough to harm you in anyway. And this is why." She said turning to another page.

"Turns out the phrase 'it's in the blood' can be quite literal." She said holding out the book for them, "Short version – hunter's blood can strengthen a spell, so if I use yours the protection spell will work better."

"Okay." She agreed, happy the spell didn't call for some kind of hunter sacrifice, hopefully that stuff was fiction like vampires not having a reflection. "What else?" she asked and Bree turned to Gregory.

"The Stone of Attamon. . . I'd kinda, have to. . . crush it into dust."

"Crush it?" Gregory asked with wide eyes. Sure they didn't need the stone anymore but he'd spent three hundred years looking for it, now he had to give it to a novice witch to crush it?

"Yep." Bree said sounding guilty, "The dust mixed with Sera's blood is what I'd need to spread at the four points. Then I do some chanting, some hand waving and _poof_ , protection spell. No Brotherhood can get in town after that."

vVv vVv vVv

The three of them made their way back to the loft, Sera crossed her fingers that her Aunt would be willing to draw blood. Renee had learned a lot about the medical field after Sera's mother had fallen ill, Renee said the home environment would be better for healing so she took it upon herself to care for her ailing sister. Gregory was still on edge about taking the Stone of Attamon and giving it to Bree to destroy – she kept calling it transform since she wasn't really destroying it's power only repurposing it. He knew the necklace and the spell book his parents wouldn't miss but they – like him – would be very unwilling to hand the stone over to the young witch.

However, when they got back to the loft their plans quickly changed. They climbed the exterior steps to the front door and stopped dead in their tracks. Spray painted in red was the same symbol Bree had drawn months ago, the same symbol that was on the stone Sera had. It was the symbol of the Brotherhood and it meant their arrival would be soon.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Bree had gone ahead with the protection spell anyway, her logic behind the choice was that if only one of the Brotherhood was in town and Bree put up the spell they would have no way to get back-up and that would at least buy the group some time to find the spy. Since James didn't go to school he volunteered to take Bree to the four points the next day. She still needed an excuse to get out of school so she called her grandmother and asked if she would call her out sick tomorrow. The old woman had responded strangely saying she'd be more than happy to since Bree's parents never understood _the path_. Bree thanked her and told the others she had no idea what her grandmother had meant, but hey whatever worked right? Sera suspected that like hunters, witchcraft was a family business and that old woman knew more than she let on. James stayed with Bree at the loft while she crushed the Stone of Attamon. It was easier then she thought, it was very old after all and after only a few minutes of applying pressure with another rock it had already begun to crack. Then she proceeded to mix the dust with Sera's blood in an old clay bowl with strange markings around the edge. She chanted as she did this and after a few seconds the candles she'd placed in front of her lit with tiny flames. She poured the mixture – she refused to call it a potion – into a vial and headed out with Jay. Gregory and Sera both decided to skip school too choosing to spend the day training instead of studying. It was the first time they sparred one on one with each other and Sera could already tell Gregory was holding back.

"Come on." She whined, "Don't start that whole 'a gentleman should never put his hands on a woman' thing now, we need to get you ready!" she said itching for a real fight.

"Sorry if it's hard to look at my girlfriend and think of ways to strike her." He said through his panting. He might have been going easy on her but that didn't mean she was going easy on him. It was like when they fought in the catacombs and without his vampire skills Sera was really kicking his ass! He knew he had to step up his game so he did his best.

For the next several hours neither one had been able to pin the other. They both performed to the best of their ability and found they were very evenly matched. Sera was pleased, her brother had trained him well; with the three of them, a witch and a wolf pack maybe they really could win this fight.

The sun was setting and they were both losing energy fast when Sera finally pinned Gregory. He was on his back in the field while she straddled him, holding his hands above his head, both breathing heavily.

"This would be a very sexy moment if we weren't covered in sweat and I didn't feel like I could sleep for a decade." She gave a breathless chuckle at his comment before giving him a quick peck on the lips. Then Sera heard a vibrating coming from her bag and got up to check her phone, Gregory stayed on the ground for a bit catching his breath.

' _Bree finished. Found something while we were out. Meet me at the cliff. –J'_

vVv vVv vVv

It didn't take Gregory and Sera long to meet James. It was hard not to have flashbacks of everything that had happened on that cliff. It was where they'd first met, where they'd kissed at sunset, where they'd fought off Theo, where her and James' father fell to his death and where Gregory had regained his humanity. When they found James he had his hands in his pockets and was looking down over the edge of the cliff. When Sera and Gregory approached him they looked over too and saw what he was looking at. Down below partially in the water was the old rusted red truck Sera had been living in for years. The _Vampkill_ logo had faded and the lights were cracked and broken.

"We have to get down there." James said.

"What for?" Gregory asked but when he turned to Sera she had the same serious look on her face then Jay turned to him.

"Do you have any idea how many weapons my father kept in that thing? If we can salvage them then we better our odds of winning against the Brotherhood."

vVv vVv vVv

It took them a while to scale their way down the cliff. Their was the remains of an old foot path that zigged and zagged down the cliff face and Gregory kept mumbling about how it would have been so much easier if he could still fly. Finally, they reached the washed up truck. The front of it was plunged into the sea but the back half was sticking out, it's wheels a few inches from the sandy shore, one tire spinning in the slight breeze.

James pulled a long machete from the pack he was wearing and used the handle to smash the back window. He knocked the broken glass out of the frame before reaching inside and unlocking the truck. When he flung the doors open Sera could see the front seats submerged in water, there was some splashing into the back each time a wave rolled in but it looked manageable. Jay held the door open as Sera leapt inside, because of the small space and odd angle she had to stay hunched over. She first pulled out the simple things, axe, hatchet, crowbar, small knives and such. The wooden stakes had been ruined by the water but luckily they wouldn't need them – Jay had been whittling his own all week. As she passed things out the door Gregory and Jay took turns stuffing them into the large duffel bags they'd brought. When the back was empty Sera jumped out and her feet splashed in the water.

"Is that all of it?" Gregory asked and Sera shook her head.

"Not even close." She replied before turning to her brother, "Give me a hand?"

Together James and Sera were able to pull open a secret compartment in the floor of the truck. Underneath were several machetes and long knives along with multiple guns. A gun was a modern tool that Gregory had thought he'd never need and he watched in awe as Sera and James handled them like they were nothing. When James' hands got full he handed one to Gregory, it looked simple enough, nothing like the massive stake gun Rookery had shown up in the cemetery with but it still felt wrong holding it. Sera must have caught the cautious look in his eyes.

"We're not using them." she explained drawing his attention, "They're spares my father kept around so he could modify them to shoot wooden stakes."

"The only reason we're taking them," James continued, "Is so the Brotherhood can't use them against us."

Gregory let out a breath of relief he didn't realize he'd been holding. He was willing to fight the people who were threatening the girl he loved but he didn't think he could bring himself to shoot someone. Even as a vampire he'd only killed for food not for sport like other vampires – like Damien.

vVv vVv vVv

Once they'd cleared the Vampkill truck of everything of value they made their trek back up the cliff. As they walked through the woods and headed back to town James began asking Sera what it was like living with their dad. A lot of it was boring and a lot of training but there were a few light hearted moments between the two and Gregory wondered that if Rudolph or Anna had been older would he have the same relationship with them that Sera and James had?

"He was always making me recite the rules." Sera said shaking her head glad those days were behind her.

"And you still ended up breaking the biggest one." James said with a smirk and a glance at Gregory.

"Which rule would that be?" he asked noticing the look he'd gotten.

"Never sympathize with a vampire." The siblings responded in perfect sync.

"Though I did more than sympathize with one." Sera said taking his hand and intertwining their fingers smiling at him. Gregory squeezed her hand and gave her a peck on the cheek pulling her closer to him as they walked.

"That's really the number one rule?" Gregory asked after a short silence.

"Mmm-hmm." Sera nodded, "Followed by, Never hesitate, Shoot to kill, Keep your guard up, Don't make eye contact, Carry more than one weapon, Be prepared for anything, Don't get bit, Do anything to win a fight and If bit, end it before the turn." She listed as she counted them off on each finger.

"That's a lot of rules." Gregory commented and James chuckled.

"Man, that's only the top ten."

"How many are there?"

"Seventy-six." They replied in unison again and Gregory's eyes widened in disbelief causing Sera to chuckle.

"There's more to this stuff than I thought."

"I'll fill you in sometime." She said still laughing quietly. Gregory liked it, she'd been so stressed lately it was nice to see her smile and hear her laugh.

It didn't last long though the next day after school Gregory burst into the loft, "Bree's in the hospital."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Jay had met with the wolf pack while Sera, Gregory and Bree went to school. Bree had to stay a period later than the others because she had an extra final scheduled for that day. When she finished she headed for her locker to grab the last of her things before heading home. However, she was stopped in the hallway by a tall muscular guy with a cocky smile – Theo McAshton.

"Hey Theo." Bree said with a nervous smile. Sera had filled her in on everything Theo had done to her and Gregory. Bree knew Theo could be a jerk but now she knew he really did have a dark side, especially when he didn't get what he wanted.

"Hey Bree, you have a minute?" he asked with a smile.

"Not really." She shrugged, "I have plans –"

"More magic?" he guessed and she froze.

"What?" she giggled trying to brush off his comment like he was nuts. Sera said he'd forgotten everything that had happened, supernatural stuff included, so why was he asking about magic?

"Oh come on Bree. You're smart, I bet you can put it all together." He said walking forward with each word forcing her to backtrack until her spine hit the lockers. She began to get nervous, the school was deserted by now, everyone racing home now that finals were over. She had nowhere to run and no one who would come help her. Theo was practically face to face with her and she could see the gloating victorious look in his eyes.

"You've been lying. You remember everything." She whispered like if she didn't say it too loudly it would somehow be less real. "You never had amnesia."

Theo chuckled and it made Bree's spine tingle in fear. "Quite the opposite actually. While Sera and Gregory have been thinking that they're perfectly safe, that I'm no threat I actually became a bigger threat." When he saw her confused expression he continued, "The Brotherhood are everywhere little witch. They might not have the numbers they had a century or two ago but they make up for it with their skills. When they pulled me out of the ocean and found out I knew about the Rookery's and the Sackville-Bagg's they knew I'd be useful. And now you have a chance to be useful too."

"I'm not giving you anything." She said though her voice waivered fearfully.

"I'm not asking you to give, I need you to take. Specifically take down that annoying protection spell you put up this weekend. It's been very difficult getting the Brotherhood in since you did that and I need you to take it down."

She couldn't, she thought, that spell was the only thing protecting her friends from the Brotherhood. "No."

"Don't be stupid little witch." He warned his voice now deeper and Bree had to repress a shudder. She instinctively grabbed the blue pendant she'd been wearing ever since Gregory had given it to her. She hadn't divulged everything about the protection spell to her friends, she'd left out the part about how adding Sera's blood not only strengthened the spell but also increased the magic needed to use it. She didn't want them thinking she was too new to handle this, and they'd been counting on her. She'd spent the whole night looking for a loophole and eventually she'd found one – an anchor. If she tied the spell to an anchor then she wouldn't need to be a skilled witch to create the spell. The only problem was now Theo had her cornered, the Brotherhood had trained him on everything supernatural and she'd just inadvertently given him the key to bring her spell down. His eyes looked down at her movement and he smirked when he caught sight of the pendant.

"Crafty little witch." He said impressed, "Hand it over."

"No." she repeated more sternly, she wouldn't let him hurt her friends and if she gave in now that's exactly what he'd do. But her resolve crumbled when Theo took her wrists and pinned them above her head. The motion caused the twine of the pendant to snap leaving her clenched fist the only thing keeping it from Theo. The lockers shuddered with a loud bang as he held her there helpless, she tried to use some form of magic against him but she still needed full concentration to use it, and as afraid as she was she had no where near the focus needed to even light a match.

Theo's jaw was clenched and she could tell he was losing his patience. Bree let out a whimper in pain but he only held on tighter. Tears finally escaped and ran down her face when he held so hard there was an audible _crack_ and she shouted from the agony. He let her go and she crumbled to the floor cradling her broken wrist. Theo didn't seem fazed at all by her injury as he picked up the blue pendant she'd dropped when he'd snapped her bones. He began whistling as he left the hall with the anchor leaving Bree in a crying, agonized heap on the floor. After a moment a teacher came around the corner, probably one of the last ones to leave, and rushed over to Bree when she caught sight of her.

"Dear, what happened?" the woman asked.

"Tripped." Bree lied through her soft sobs, "I'm just clumsy." It didn't sound convincing but the teacher didn't seem to pay it any mind as she turned her attention to Bree's wrist. She let out a small yelp when she moved it.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." The teacher clucked her tongue, "Broken wrist, come on dear. We'll call an ambulance."

vVv vVv vVv

Bree hadn't explained much in her text other than where she was so Gregory and Sera had no idea what to expect when the nurse led them to her room in the ER. Sera let out a breath of relief when she saw that Bree was sitting up with her legs crossed, a cast on one wrist and a remote in her free hand. She was scrolling through channels but didn't seem to actually be watching the television, her mind far away.

"Bree? You okay?" Gregory asked when they entered her room. That seemed to snap her out of her trance as she looked over to them.

"Define okay." She said looking glum. Sera however, filled with rage. Bree was always so full of life, so bubbly and cheerful but now she looked drained, mentally and physically exhausted. Whoever had done this would pay. Sera sat on the corner of the bed as Gregory stood next to Bree, his arms crossed over his chest. Bree took a deep breath before explaining further.

"It was Theo."

"Theo McAshton?" Sera asked and saw Gregory roll his eyes, _of course Theo McAshton_.

"It was always Theo." Bree whispered before taking another breath, "The stone in your locker, the symbol on your door, it was all him. He never forgot a thing, all those months he was 'missing' the Brotherhood was prepping him to be their informant."

There was a long silence before either of them said anything.

"Bree how do you know all that?" Gregory asked.

"He told me. Right before he did this." She held up her dark purple casted wrist, "And took my pendant." She took another shaky breath, "If he destroys it the protection spell comes down." Gregory and Sera exchanged a look, they didn't know that was how it worked, "I didn't want to tell you." Bree continued sounding guilty, "The pendant is the anchor for the spell because I wasn't strong enough to do it myself."

Sera rubbed her friends back in comfort, "Bree it's okay. It's not your fault."

"If anyone's to blame it's us." Gregory continued, "Hell I should have killed him back when I had the chance."

"Gregory –" Sera tried to stop him but he only went on.

"I spent three hundred years doing cruel things to people who didn't deserve it, I only wish I had done some of those terrible things to Theo."

Then they heard footsteps approach and a second later Jay appeared in the doorway holding a small brown paper bag. Sera had texted him that they were heading to the hospital to see Bree, he said he'd pass it on to the pack.

"Hey, the pack's here, Nate's got them guarding every exit." He explained walking over to Bree, "But I still thought you might want this." He said handing her the bag. She looked confused as she opened it and pulled out a large plastic cup and spoon.

"Ice cream makes everything better. And hospital food always sucks." James shrugged putting his hands in his pockets. Bree smiled and Sera was glad something cheered her up though Gregory looked confused.

"I thought the point of hospital food was to keep you from eating junk food?"

"She has a broken wrist, she didn't go into cardiac arrest." Jay replied as Gregory leaned over to whisper to Bree.

"I still don't understand modern-day humans." He muttered and she laughed. Sera smiled at them before pulling her brother into the hall.

"How did you let the pack know to come?" she asked knowing none of them carried cell phones.

"I was. . .already with Nate." James replied brushing one of his hands through his hair nervously before scratching his neck. The movement drew Sera's eye to the dark mark below where his jaw met his ear.

"Is that a hickey?" she asked and her brother turned tomato red.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Theo hadn't felt this good since he had that wooden stake less than an inch from Gregory's heart. He'd taken the little witch's pendant out of town to his contact from the Brotherhood. They had a way to destroy it and once that happened the protection spell keeping them out would be finished. He was driving his new Porsche home from the rendezvous point with a wide smile on his face. However, his good night quickly changed when something slammed into the side of his car so hard the vehicle flipped several times until it landed upside down in a field.

It took Theo a moment for the dizziness to go away, he felt a throbbing in his head and touched his palm to it. He recoiled from the sting and saw blood on his hand, not a heavy flow, but enough to worry about a concussion. Then the door of the Porsche was torn off and there was a loud screech of metal shredding, suddenly a concussion was the least of his worries. A pair of strong hands reached in and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him out of the wreck.

He was now face to face with a boy who looked no older than him but his eyes said he'd been through much more than Theo – and that wasn't just because they were glowing a shocking yellow. Theo's eyes widened in a mixture of awe and fear as the boy threw him on the ground. The boy was clearly pissed, his jaw clenched tight though Theo could hear something stirring in his chest, it sounded like a growl but with his head still pounding he couldn't be sure.

Now that he was on the ground he could see the boy in more detail, he had blonde curls that were long enough to cover his ears and his clothes looked like they hadn't been washed in quite some time. His hands – now free of Theo's shirt – were clenched into fists as he glared at him. Then Theo heard more growls and noticed that there were more people surrounding him. Some were close enough to see their faces, others were far back enough that they were only dark silhouettes – all except for the glowing yellow eyes.

"Theo McAshton." The blonde boy spat his name in disgust and just as Theo was about to open his mouth and ask how the boy knew him he was punched in the face and his world went dark.

vVv vVv vVv

Bree didn't stay in the hospital long and was released shortly after she'd finished the sundae James had brought her. The four of them were driving back to the loft when Jay's cellphone rang. He reached for it from the cup holder but Sera got to it first. He started to protest but she shut him up quickly with a soft scolding, "Eyes on the road."

She answered the call and put it on speaker.

"Hello?"

" _Sera?"_ the other person questioned.

"Yeah."

" _Hey it's Nate. Where are you guys?"_

"Heading back to the loft with Bree." She asked puzzled why the alpha was calling so late.

" _Think you can make a detour?"_

"Why what's up?" Jay asked from the drivers seat.

" _We're at the cemetery. Think you guys can navigate the catacombs?"_

"I know it like the back of my hand." Gregory spoke up leaning forward from the seat behind Sera in the jeep.

" _Good."_ Nate chuckled, _"We have a present for you guys."_

vVv vVv vVv

Jay handed Gregory the flashlight when they got to the cemetery and he led them into the catacombs through a cavern Sera never knew was there. He did a good job of remembering the layout of his family's old hideout until they realized one problem: they had no idea where the wolf pack was. Then they heard footsteps and rocks shuffling before a figure jumped down in front of them – it was little Charlotte and little she may be she looked her regular fierce self.

"About time." She criticized crossing her arms. "Come on, Nate and the others are over here." She turned and led them further into the tombs.

"How did you guys even find this place?" Gregory asked before she scoffed and didn't even look back at him.

"Your family obviously spent a lot of time here. The place reeked of vampires."

They only followed Charlotte for a short time before they found the rest of the pack. They were gathered in the chamber Gregory recognized as the place where he and his father had fought only days before the comet arrived. He couldn't believe how much had changed since then as he looked around. A werewolf pack, a novice witch, a couple of hunter kids – Rookery's kids no less – and an ex-vampire, all united to fight a common enemy. It was unheard of, and maybe – just maybe – that's exactly why they'd win.

"So what's the present?" Sera asked, normally Jay had taken up spokesperson between the wolves and their rag-tag team but tonight he seemed more self-conscious than she'd ever seen him. He'd look at Nate then shyly look away, at a wall or the ground, it was a new side to her brother she hadn't seen before and if the situation weren't so dire she'd use her role as annoying little sister to comment on it.

"This." Nate smirked and stepped aside. Sera's jaw almost hit the floor. Chained to the old fountain was Theo McAshton. He had some dry blood on his forehead and a bruise on his cheekbone and was clearly unconscious. She saw Bree take a step back, her last encounter with Theo obviously still clear as day in her mind, Gregory also positioned himself so he was partially blocking Bree from Theo, Sera thought it was sweet how he'd taken on a protective big brother role with her, very similar to the role he had with Anna and Rudolph – no matter how much they annoyed him at times.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Jay asked his prior shyness gone.

"You said he was the Brotherhood's informant, so why not tap his brain for what he knows?" Nate said with a smirk and a shrug.

"What do you mean 'tap his brain'?" Gregory asked looking at Theo wearingly, his fists clenching as he remembered all that horrible bastard had done to him and Sera, and now Bree. Nate leaned to his right to make eye contact with Bree, that one movement clearly explained his idea. Bree's eyes grew wide and she hugged her broken wrist closer to herself.

"You can do it." Nate encouraged soothingly and in that moment Sera saw what his pack saw. He wasn't alpha because he was an animal, he wasn't cruel, just the opposite – he was kind, he was supportive. Sera could tell the gentle way he spoke to Bree was probably how he'd gotten his pack through the painful turn of the full moon in their early wolf years. "It's already inside you, go with what feels right and it'll just come to you." He continued and Sera watched Bree relax slightly with his words. She was still holding her wrist but she now took slow steps toward Theo. Sera was happy he was unconscious or else Bree might never have been able to pluck up the courage to approach the man who'd attacked her only hours ago. She may be little and timid but underneath she was strong.

When she stood directly in front of Theo she took her hands and held them against his temples, she closed her eyes and appeared to go into some kind of trance.

There was a long moment of silence, some of them shifted uncomfortably from side to side, Rita was looking at her nails seeming bored out of her mind while Charlotte was cracking her nails hoping for another go at Theo. "He gave them the pendant." Bree finally began in a whisper, "By morning the barrier keeping them out will be gone." Several of the wolves tensed at that before Bree went on. "They won't attack immediately. They're waiting a few days until the new moon."

"New moons have the opposite effect then a full moon." Lance explained whispering even softer than Bree, as if he was afraid he might snap her out of it, "Instead of becoming crazy vicious animals we're at our most docile. It's actually difficult to get mad and go wolf because of the moon."

"The cliff." Bree went on and all attention returned to her, "They'll begin at the cliff. Then move in." She opened her eyes and stepped back from Theo seeming shocked at what she'd just accomplished.

"Good job Bree." Nate said smiling and putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Now we know their plan, we can foil it." Jay continued and Nate turned his smile to him which made him blush slightly. Then Theo coughed before he came to.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Nate turned to Flynn and Charlotte and tilted his head in Bree's direction. They immediately took the silent order and led her out of the catacombs back to the Jeep. She'd done well, getting the Brotherhood's plan out of Theo's head but facing Theo while he was awake - and talking shit no doubt – was an entirely different situation.

"Should we give you a minute?" Nate asked turning to Sera and Gregory. She hesitated but nodded her head. Gregory put his hand on her shoulder reminding her that she wasn't alone before he turned to the alpha.

"Stay close." He whispered and Nate nodded. He and Jay walked out of the corridor the way they'd come earlier while Rita, Lance and Blake left through the opposite tunnel just as Theo opened his eyes. He took a moment, breathing deeply before shaking his head trying to clear it, then he looked up. There was a brief flash of confusion on his face before it turned to amusement and Sera felt Gregory's hand on her shoulder inadvertently tighten it's grip.

"Been awhile." He said smirking, "You look good." His eyes raked up and down Sera's body and Gregory's glare intensified as he moved to block her slightly from Theo's view which only made his smirk widen. Sera crossed her arms over her chest uncomfortably.

"Can't say the same about you." She said eyeing the chains around him, her comment made Gregory's glare turn into a smirk. Though Theo didn't seem annoyed and only shrugged, as much as his restraints would allow.

"For now." He said with his usual cocky tone.

"You really think the Brotherhood will care enough about you to take the time to help you if we decide to keep you locked up down here?" Gregory asked taking a few steps toward Theo. "You've already given them everything they need, what other purpose could you possibly serve?"

Theo's confidence seemed to waiver before he put up his arrogant mask again. "Does it bother you Greg? You ended up getting the girl, only to doom her. That's gotta suck." He gave a small chuckle, "Pun intended."

"We're going to win." Gregory said a hint of darkness seeping into his tone as he got closer to Theo. "Like we did last time." Theo's smugness vanished, "Does it bother you _Theodore_?" Gregory mocked and now it was Theo's turn to glare.

"A piece of advice Greg," he whispered low so Sera couldn't hear, "Next time she's in your bed and her head's on your chest and your arms are around her, hold tight mate. Because the day will come when she's not in your arms anymore – she'll be in a box six feet underground."

In the blink of an eye Gregory pulled back his fist and decked Theo across the face. The back of his skull cracked against the fountain and he fell unconscious again. Gregory took a second to glare at him again as a bruise already started to form on his face. When he turned to Sera she was shaking her head but her expression seemed impressed and amused.

"I'm so hot for you right now." She said with a smirk of her own.

vVv vVv vVv

Unfortunately, the pack decided it was best to return Theo home. The last thing they needed was the police searching for a missing McAshton. Nate sent a few members of his pack to take the knocked-out Theo home while the rest of them headed to the loft to plan battle strategies.

They stayed up most of the night and ended up all crashing at Sera's place. It was kinda fun, Sera thought, like a giant sleepover. Another thing her childhood had lacked because of her father.

The next morning was the day the Thompsons and the Sackville-Baggs -Frederich and Gregory excluded - were leaving for their trip to America. Sera tip-toed across the loft, taking extra care not to step on any of the wolves, Bree, or her brother, who had flooded the living space with blankets and pillows as they slept. She made her way down into the kitchen of the main house where she found her Aunt Renee. She spent the next several hours trying to talk her aunt into leaving with the others on their holiday. Eventually, she came to find out that she didn't inherit her stubborn nature from her father – it was a trait her aunt possessed as well.

"Now, are you going to help me make breakfast? We've got quite a few guests upstairs and teenage boys are hard enough to feed even without being werewolves." She said, effectively ending the debate. Their day passed much like their night, swapping ideas with the pack, trying to learn from each others experiences and deciding what was the best way to strike. They did their best to keep the talk away from Renee but Sera had a sneaking suspicion that even without hunter training her aunt was an expert eavesdropper.

vVv vVv vVv

The next day Sera woke in Gregory's arms, it was the day of the battle and his grip – even asleep – was firm, like he was afraid he might lose her in the middle of the night. She tried not to think about it but her mind still wondered if this was the last good moment they'd have together. She curled herself closer to him and felt him shift as he started to wake up. When he did he looked down at her with his clear blue eyes and she wanted nothing more than to pause life outside of that very second. They didn't talk, he just smiled at her and kissed her. She returned the kiss pushing her lips closer to his and his hands tightened around her waist in response. As their moment got more passionate she rolled so she was on top of him, her hair shielding them like a curtain. She knew she couldn't prolong the inevitable but she damn well tried. Eventually, Gregory pulled away unwillingly but necessarily, knowing they had to get on with their day. They quietly got out of bed and got dressed pausing every few second to look at each other, the tone of the day already grim as they left the bedroom to meet the others.

From the moment they woke up the wolves already said they felt different. Nate took them to run the perimeter of the town to try and get their blood pumping before the battle they were expecting that night. Bree was glued to her book of spells muttering under her breath any incantations she felt would come in handy. Meanwhile, James, Gregory and Sera were sharpening stakes, and knives. Jay had also unearthed his supply of non-lethal weapons as well, pepper spray, tazers and such.

"What's the point of using non-lethal weapons against people who want to kill us?" Gregory asked picking up a tazer and examining it.

"We have to worry about appearances as well." James explained, "I doubt Renee and your dad are going to just sit back and let us fight for our lives. If they involve the authorities we need a good cover story."

"People are always ready to blame trouble making teens." Sera added.

"Exactly." Her brother confirmed.

"Some things haven't changed in 300 years." Gregory muttered.

"So when we're found out we're much more likely to get off scott free if we can plead self-defense. The Brotherhood won't have that advantage if they bring their A game."

They didn't take breaks as they prepared, Jay opened a bag of chips and he munched as he assembled one of the smaller stake guns they'd raided from their father's old truck. Gregory was too nervous to eat and Sera had heated up some leftover pasta from the other night. She didn't each much, only a few mouthfuls, complaining that it tasted weird but she pinned it on her nerves. The wolves returned shortly after and Sera realized how much time had passed as she looked out the window and saw the sun was probably an hour or so from fully sinking under the horizon. It was time to leave so they could set traps for their enemies.


	17. Chapter 17

**And we've reached the end of another story! Thanks to everyone who's been following along and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!**

Chapter 17

They knew the Brotherhood would arrive through the woods by the cliff, so that's where they waited. Sera recognized the small clearing as where she'd found Gregory perched in a tree the night after he'd talked her from the edge of the cliff. Now she was sitting on an old stump while Gregory paced back and forth nervously, he kept running his fingers over his weapons: a stake strapped to his waist, a small knife in his boot and a tazer in his pocket. Her brother was leaning against a tree and though he looked calm as usual Sera could see how stiff and tense his posture was. Bree and the wolves were waiting nearby, hidden since the Brotherhood didn't know their involvement. Theo hadn't known about the pack when he'd been passing information to the Brotherhood and if he'd said anything about Bree the older more experienced hunters would never believe a novice witch would stand and fight when she could run instead.

It was torture sitting like bait waiting for them to arrive but when they heard the crunching of leaves under feet Sera wished the waiting had lasted longer. It started with just a few shadows weaving through the trees, then more appeared behind them and they could hear snarling. Jay had been right about them using starved vampire captives and Sera could see Gregory flinch at the realization. As they got closer she could make out more details, they wore dark denim and black leather like her father had. Some wore chain belts and some wore strings of vampire fangs around their necks – old prizes from former battles. She felt her heart jump into her throat as Jay moved away from his tree and walked so he was in front of both her and Gregory. Out of the three of them he was the only one with a 'clean' record and had the best chance of stopping any violence the Brotherhood had sought out.

"James Rookery." The one in front said. He was flanked by the other leaders of the inner circle, two on each side of him. He looked older, his hair starting to grey, but Sera could see the way the shirt under his jacket hugged his body, she could see his muscles moving as he breathed. Old age didn't stop him from keeping his body in fighting shape – unlike her father who smoked and drunk himself into a beer belly and raspy cough. This man was lethal, he could probably take all three of them out himself.

"Associating yourself with these traitors is foolish." The leader continued, "Go home, boy and you may live."

"Whenever my father spoke of the Brotherhood he told me that at it's core was loyalty to your family. If I turned my back on my sister it'd be shameful. I'd rather die than live with that shame." He said without any waiver in his voice.

"Pity." The leader said though he didn't show it, if anything his eyes lit up with excitement at the added challenge. "You have such potential and yet you throw in your lot with them. A traitor and a fanger." His eyes moved from Sera to Gregory.

"Gregory Sackville-Bagg." He said the name slowly but at the same time distastefully, like he'd taken a sip of something rancid. "So much blood shed so you can live. So much suffering at your hands, and now you and your kind think that one spell given to you by a crazy old man can forgive all the pain you caused over three centuries?" he asked but everyone knew it was rhetorical. "I'll take great pleasure in finally ending you, as the Rookery family swore to three hundred years ago!" he shouted turning his gaze to Sera. She heard chains move behind him, no doubt other members of the circle restraining their own vampires. They must have thought it'd be poetic, to have vampires kill them while the whole reason they were in trouble was because they'd let vampires live.

"Seraphina Rookery." The leader now addressed her, "The foolish girl who let a corpse talk his way into her heart and her bed. And for what dear? To be killed as a traitor, your father should have taught you better."

"How could he? He was a fool." She replied with venom in her tone, her former fear now gone. How dare he threaten Gregory. He knew nothing about him but was ready to take joy in his death simply for what he once was. He knew nothing of the kind vampire who had kept her from walking off the cliff, the one who'd taken her from her miserable life with Theo, the one who stood by her even after she revealed her father was his greatest enemy.

The leader laughed, "Yes, your father never was the brightest hunter in the bunch. But he was loyal, and that kind of loyalty is hard to find nowadays." As he spoke Gregory moved to her side and took her free hand.

"No it isn't." he said defiantly.

"Children." The leader scoffed, "Always think you know everything." He sighed like he was getting bored, "Well, at least this won't take long."

It must have been the signal for something because the next thing she knew chains hit the ground and the soft snarling she'd heard earlier suddenly amplified. She saw shadowy figures rush through the Brotherhood – knowing enough to not bite the hand that was feeding them at last – and headed straight for them. She gripped her stake harder and prepared to fight back but just as the vamps cleared the Brotherhood and were crossing the clearing to them there was a loud shout.

"Incendia!" and flames shot up around the field engulfing the bottom half of the trees and obliterating one vampire who'd been too far at the edge of the clearing. Sera saw another one with a sad look in his eyes. A fresher captive with enough of his sanity to know this was wrong, to know he was being used as a tool. He took not even half a second to deliberate before he ran straight into the flames and ended his own immortal life. There were only five vampires now who were recovering from the shock of the instant flames and headed straight for them again, seeing only a meal. Jay rushed at the closest one and grabbed him by the jugular forcing him down on his back as he drove a stake into his chest. He flinched a bit before going still, dead. As Gregory and Sera fought their own opponents a broken branch flew through the air and shish-ka-bobbed another one, as Bree stepped out of the flames her spell had created. The whole clearing was now bright with orange as the fire ate away at the trees keeping everyone trapped inside, it helped that there were limited places for the Brotherhood to go, no one could sneak up on her in the confined space and no one could creep through the dark now that it'd been snuffed out. Bree helped Jay take out the last vampire as both Gregory and Sera took out theirs. The five leaders looked impressed but didn't move to attack, instead the six fighters they'd brought charged past them and joined the fight.

That's when the howling started and the pack arrived. Werewolves weren't fire proof but they were strong and agile. They climbed the trees outside the ring of fire and catapulted from one to another until they landed in the middle of the battle. Some landed firmly on their feet in the dirt while others landed on the hunters themselves. Blake and Lance dug into the men they landed on with their claws, loud agonized screams and a bloody gurgle later and they were off looking for their next target. Knowing that this wasn't going to be the easy fight they assumed it would be the five leaders brandished their own weapons and joined their remaining four fighters in the battle. There were no more surprises on either side now and it was down to the nine Brotherhood fighters against their own group of ten. They now had the numbers but Sera couldn't forget the experience their enemies had. Even in two against one fights the Brotherhood were winning, dodging one strike while twisting to hit their second opponent. It was hard to keep track of everyone while paying attention to her own fight especially with her adrenaline rushing as fast as it was.

Little Charlotte was on the back of one hunter as he swung madly trying to hit her with his machete. She growled exposing her mouthful of sharp canines before digging her claws into his chest and burying her teeth in his throat. Nate and James were fighting one of the five leaders with difficulty as he spun ring daggers in each hand. Bree was using some kind of spell to tie a hunter down with tree roots while Lance covered her blind side. Gregory was holding his own against one of the fighters using Jay's dodging technique to wear the hunter out. Sera, Rita, Blake and Flynn were all fighting one on one. Sera took her tazer out and hit her challenger straight in the heart making him drop to the ground seizing. She saw Charlotte running to help Rita and saw Blake toss his enemy across the field with his supernatural strength. When she turned to Flynn she nearly froze. He ducked as the hunter swung his sword at his head, he slashed his claws across the man's chest causing three long red streaks to appear in his flesh. When he spun to deliver the final blow the hunter, with the last of his strength stabbed the wolf through the chest, the tip of his blade poking out the wolf's back drenched with red.

"FLYNN!" Rita cried in agony watching her pack mate drop, his eyes wide open in shock as the light left them. In her rage her eyes glowed yellow and she pushed Charlotte out of the way to get to their attacker, in the blink of an eye she tore his head clean off his body and his decapitated torso fell into the dirt. Nate had just ran up a tree trunk and flipped in the air landing on a hunter and quickly ending him before he turned and saw his pack falling apart at the seams. To a wolf losing a pack mate wasn't like losing a friend or losing a family member – it was like losing a limb. Nate's eyes glowed as he let out a howl calling his pack to attention. It seemed to snap them out of it as they continued fighting.

There were only three, maybe four of the Brotherhood left – mostly all leaders. Even with their numbers the pack wasn't focused anymore, Bree's fire was dimming as she used her magic for other defensive and offensive spells and now they had another problem. Police sirens had started in the distance and were getting louder as they got closer to the chaotic scene. She saw Gregory tazer his opponent and for a brief moment he turned looking for her. She saw a flash of relief before it turned to terror he opened his mouth to shout but whatever he said she didn't hear, she could only focus on the searing pain that had started in her chest.

vVv vVv vVv

Gregory had never been in a fight like this before but as it drew to it's close he could practically see the light at the end of the tunnel. They had the numbers, the police were on their way and the Brotherhood were losing. As he downed his final opponent he searched for Sera, hoping Flynn had been the only casualty of their fight. When he saw her he felt a great weight fall off his shoulders until he saw the shadow behind her. Through the dying flames was a figure with what looked like a bow notched and ready. He was about to call to her in warning but the arrow had already flew and with a deadly elegance pierced her through her lung. She seemed to not understand what had happened as she used a nearby tree to soften her fall before she collapsed in the dirt.

"NO!" he cried as he ran to her, he heard Jay across the field call her name. He barely registered the remaining Brotherhood flee, barely heard Nate telling Jay the pack would take the worst of the bodies and make it look like an animal attack across town. There was the blurry sight of Bree using enchanted tree roots to suck the vampire corpses into the ground where they cold finally be at peace. All he could focus on was getting to Sera and trying to help her. When he took her in his arms he knew she was beyond help. The arrow had gone through her lung and blood was soaking her clothes as some of it dripped from her lips as her airway filled and her body couldn't get oxygen. She was drowning in her own blood and he only looked away for a second when he saw movement in the dark. All the rage he'd had since they'd met built up and he didn't care about consequences, he'd kill the person who'd done this to her, he'd kill Theo McAshton. Theo, who had the bow in his hand as he was fleeing the scene. James had made it across the field and knelt beside Gregory and his dying sister. There were tears in his eyes, some escaping and running down his face. In that moment Gregory wished for something – anything to save her. Perhaps he shouldn't have.

"Oh my." Came a British drawl from above them. Gregory knew that voice and wished he still had his stake from the fight as he looked up to see Damien relaxing on a tree branch. He jumped down with the usual grace of any vampire as he took in the sight before him. He looked the same as he did when Gregory had last seen him on the cliff. He'd been right, the little bastard had run from the ritual and kept his immortality.

"Such a shame, cousin. You made such a charming couple." Gregory was about to shout at him to go away when a tiny whisper popped into his head. He looked down at Sera, unconscious and bleeding to death before he looked back at his cousin.

"Help her." He begged and Damien laughed.

"Oh I never thought I'd see the day when the son of Fredrich the Great _begged_ me for my help." He said smirking.

"Damien!" he shouted not having time for his gloating, " _Please_." He said through clenched teeth and James put a hand on his shoulder.

"Gregory are you sure –"

"What else are we supposed to do? Let her die?" he asked and turned back to his cousin who looked very entertained. "Do it. I'll do anything you want Damien, please, just do it!"

"Anything?" he asked his eyes brightening with evil glee.

"Yes damn it! Just fucking do it!" he shouted hearing the police getting closer. He could see the red and blue flashing through the trees and could hear the men talking to his father and Renee as they hustled through the forest. Damien, still smirking, knelt beside them and took Sera's arm. He rolled up her sleeve and sunk his fangs into her wrist.

End


End file.
